


Never Meant to Be So Bad to You

by larsty



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 80's Fic, Affectionate Insults, Arcades, Attempt at Humor, Banter, Bottom Louis, Boys In Love, Cheesy, Dorks in Love, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Football | Soccer Player Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson Hate Each Other, Hockey Player Harry Styles, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Insults, Jealousy, Lots of kissing, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Small Towns, Smut, Sort Of, Top Harry, intense rivalry, like weed is mentioned a few times, over arcade games, they get locked inside of an arcade room, they're, who can't communicate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 13:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larsty/pseuds/larsty
Summary: Louis hated Harry and his stupid confidence and his handsome face and his deep voice and his stupid jeans and his stupid smile and his stupid existence. He hated Harry, always had and always will. They’d never gotten along and Louis wasn’t sure how it started, but he knows that Harry was put onto this earth to bug the hell out of Louis. Being trapped inside of an arcade with him was hell and it hadn't been a full minute.or the 80's Arcade AU that no one asked for about how louis and harry hate each other (not really) and have an intense rivalry over video games. featuring liam niall and zayn as the friends who help them sort themselves out.





	Never Meant to Be So Bad to You

**Author's Note:**

> title based off of Heat of the Moment by Asia. the fic started off as practice for writing smut but then turned into what my parents (crazy millennials born in the 80’s) talk about and my love for decade/historical fics. (the 80's is history!) i sort of forgot that it was set in the 80s, so there’s not as many references to the culture as i would’ve liked, but i’m happy with the result anyways!! i loved this AU so much and i got attached and i rushed the relationship and the smut wasn't even good and there’s sooo much other stuff that’s wrong with it but i like this lil bag of foolery anyways!! enjoy!!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: i know nothing about lanesboro minnesota or small towns. i tried my best :D

It was a Wednesday night in August. It was still hot, even with the sun gone and the stars out. Lanesboro, Minnesota was a small fucking town and everything was within walking distance or an hour into the city. Despite that, it was a beautiful town, vibrant summer greens and yellows, and blues. The town had one shopping center, with only two decent fashion stores and a cinema that played shows about two months behind the national release dates. Summers were always spent running around the fields, chasing butterflies on the playgrounds with friends, or picking up small jobs around the neighborhood for a buck. 

Lanesboro wasn’t much, they didn’t have much but one another. Life was simple and peaceful and contained to the small town bubble of five hundred people, all of whom Louis knew. 

The one thing this town had, the mecca of all things glorious, was the Doom Arcade. 

The Doom Arcade was, singlehandedly, without a doubt, the greatest blessing to Lanesboro. It was better than the church, the school, the Mayor’s office, the ice rink, the pool, all of them combined even. It was a holy neon battleground of chaos that Louis and everyone under the age of twenty-one worshipped. It was a bubble of the chaos Lanesboro kids had craved for centuries. It was significantly smaller than the ones in the big cities, with fewer machines too, but it was the biggest thing to happen in a town that didn’t have anything cool. It was opened at the start of March and had become the next designated playground. Nobody had left it alone for the first couple of weeks. 

Life became defined by one’s survival in video games, how far their names got on the list of the top twenty in games, and it was a badge of honor if you were on top. 

Summer of 1982 was now harsh glowing green and red and blue and yellow. It was red Slurpees and bodies of Lanesboro youth crammed into the Doom Arcade AC, their pockets stuffed with quarters. 

Doom was usually, almost always crowded. There was at least one person in line to take a crack at a game and all the middle school kids were assholes. But it was a Wednesday night in August and school had just started, so all the pilates and jazzercise moms forced their kids to stay home and complete whatever assignments for a class to try to get them to start the year off strong. The Arcade would be the most dead it’s been since the start of spring, it was all Niall had wished for so he could slack off and have a turn without getting fired. 

He honestly sucked at his job. He didn’t know how to fix the machines when the system crashed, so he’d have to write “BROKEN” on a sheet of paper taped to the screen of the game (usually Defender), and then call out for a poor employee off shift to fix it. He’s done it so many times, his writing is perfect. Niall always served the food so that it was warm on the outside, but once you took a bite, it was cold. Whenever people fought, he’d take bets on who would win. He wiped down the machines occasionally rather than regularly, but Louis couldn’t care less when it meant that Niall gave him freebies and let him stay past closing time. He loved Niall, even if he was a completely useless employee and looked ridiculous in the goofy blue button-up. 

Zayn wasn’t too keen on the whole game fad, thought it was useless to waste money on a level. He went because he was an amazing best friend and supported Louis’ infatuation, sticking by his side every time Louis went to battle. That’s what he told Louis. Louis, however, knows better and he knows that Zayn is there to ogle at the boys (mainly Liam and Niall), and to take advantage of the free Slurpees. He always leaned his body against the side of the arcade box, completely ignoring the game Louis was playing, a hand in his pocket and the other holding his drink, slurping loudly, letting his eyes wander over Niall behind the counter or Liam’s back slightly bent over a game. 

It pissed Louis off how cool he managed to look while being a creep.

Sometimes he brought a comic book with him when Niall wasn’t working or Liam wasn’t there, and he hummed noncommittally each time Louis whined in frustration. 

Louis could feel his excitement as Zayn pulled into the lot ever so slowly, singing along to whatever sad music he loved to listen to, while Louis drooled over the spinning Doom sign in front of the building. The lot was dead, only a few other cars parked and bikes on racks. Zayn sighed, like he always did, and pulled the keys out of the ignition. He leaned back in his seat dramatically and turned to pout at Louis. 

“I miss when you loved me more than a stupid goblin. We could be smoking right now or even doing homework, I’m that tired of being here.” He puffed out cigarette smoke, closing his eyes as he did it, before trying to stick the puppy dog face on Louis. It wasn’t the real puppy dog face, though, because the real one was irresistible. Zayn was so fucking good looking, even with his dark clothes and poor social skills. It probably made him that much hotter. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “You’re so full of shit. You love to watch your boyfriends. We’ll smoke after, you can spend the night. Mom’s working overnight. And fuck the lab,” Louis said, opening the car door and getting out quickly, waiting for Zayn’s sigh, before the boy followed him down the lot. “Its also Galaga, dick.”

“Whatever. I don’t think I want you as my lab partner, seeing as you’re so irresponsible.” He ruffled Louis’ hair, which meant that Louis _had_ to push back, and that meant that they were fighting in the parking lot as they walked. 

In the midst of Louis ripping off Zayn’s latch on his neck, Zayn stopped and his grin lit up like the neon Doom sign. He elbowed Louis and nodded his head in the direction of a car and as Louis turned to look, he felt his blood run cold.

A brand new black Chevy Camaro was parked right in front, right next to Liam’s mom’s station wagon. It was a beautiful car and it was fast and the engine was loud and Louis didn’t know shit about cars, but he could appreciate that there was something hot about the car. Zayn said it was the person who drove the car that did it for Louis, but Zayn doesn’t know anything. 

It was Harry Styles’ car. His mom and stepdad bought it since his stepdad was rich and all, something of a computer tech guy. Harry, the bane of Louis’ existence, his archenemy, Styles. Louis hated Harry and his stupid confidence and his handsome face and his deep voice and his stupid jeans and his stupid smile and his stupid existence. He hated Harry, always had and always will. They’d never gotten along and Louis wasn’t sure how it started, but he knows that Harry was put onto this earth to bug the hell out of Louis. 

They fought about everything—one time it was about how the earth was round, Harry (for the sake of arguing and pissing Louis off) said it was flat—and their most recent rivalry was in Galaga. The number one slot in Galaga. It had been going back and forth and Louis’ pretty sure they’ve had to already beat some sort of record for the highest score ever, but that didn’t matter because Louis just wanted to beat Harry.

Louis is going to beat the game with an insanely high score and Harry will never, ever be able to surpass it and will be forced to stay on the number two slot for all of eternity. 

It was the only reason why Louis was so insistent on coming to Doom as often as possible. He and Harry went back and forth on the top spot for all the games, but mainly Galaga. It wasn’t a big hit with the other kids for some odd reason, Zayn says it’s because the machine was covered in their lust, but Zayn doesn’t know shit. 

“I’m going to go in there and kick his ass, Zayn,” Louis said, picking his pace up and setting his face determinedly. Once again, Harry was ruining what was supposed to be an easy Wednesday night for Louis but now turned into a night full of stupid arguments and a massive headache. 

“I hate this weird foreplay between you two, I wished you’d just fuck already,” Zayn muttered behind him as Louis yanked open the heavy doors. 

The cool air conditioning ran down their warm faces and it was the best feeling ever. The navy blue carpet with planets dotted all over it would catch the glow of the lights now and then and it looked cool. Doom was filled with brightly lit game cabinets and basketball hoops and foosball tables and hockey tables and tables for eating and a food counter. They had everything cool all in one place. It still smelled slightly new and the walls were a dark blue with yellow trimming. Music was playing, but the sounds of blasters and Pac-Man and an evil villain laugh drowned it out. The only solid light came from the counter where food orders were taken or bills were exchanged for quarters. (Rookie mistake).

Niall was behind the counter, talking to some kids with a bored expression on his face, but immediately lit up as he spotted Zayn and Louis come in. He waved and completely disregarded the conversation he was having with the kids, who looked offended, and slid his elbows across the counter as they both approached the space. 

“Hey Lou, hey Z, you came on a great night. Only people here are these shits,” he pointed a thumb at the group of kids with sour expressions on their face, “and Liam and Harry.”

Louis scowled at the name, while Niall and Zayn sent each other exasperated looks. Louis shot them dirty looks. 

“Go make us Slurpees, blondie,” Louis said. Niall rolled his eyes in nothing but love and turned to grab the cups from the under the counter. His back was turned as he filled the cups and Louis watched as Zayn eyed his body appreciatively. Louis shot out an elbow, narrowing his eyes and making a stupid face, and Zayn did the same in response. 

“Here you go, free of charge as always. How’s Mr. Vernon’s class for you guys? It hasn’t been a full month and we’re already doing a lab,” Niall groaned, letting his head down on the counter. Louis took a sip instead of responding, his best attempt at ignoring responsibility, and Zayn hummed with eyes full of hearts. Disgusting. 

Red Slurpees were the fucking best. These weren’t authentic Slurpees, but they were pretty damn good.

“He tried to give me detention the other day because I was late. By ten seconds!” Niall shouted, his hands flying in the air. 

Louis winced. “That’s shit dude. I heard he gave Sam detention because Sam sneezed too many times in class. Thought he was doing it to be a wiseguy, but poor Sam was just sick.” Niall scoffed. 

“Sam’s always sick. Vernon is a sad old fat white guy who is disappointed with is life, as he should be, and takes it out on the generation that is better than anything he could ever think of,” Niall said, ever the optimist. 

Zayn smiled, hearts still in his eyes, and nodded. “Couldn’t have said it better, Ni.” The blond smiled gratefully and everything was so gross.

“Hey asshole, we’ve been waiting for you to fix Centipede for half an hour now. We’ve got to be home soon,” A kid from off the side said angrily. The group all had their arms crossed and Louis didn’t blame them. Broken machines were the worst. 

Niall groaned. “I’ve already told you that I can’t fix the machine and Tiffany is busy so she can’t fix it either. Now scram, losers,” He shooed them away, ignoring their groans and curses and smiled back at Louis and Zayn as if nothing happened. 

Zayn looked back at him with a smile just as sweet and Louis needed to leave before he got a cavity. He knocked a knuckle against the countertop, slurping obnoxiously loud to snap them out of their moment, and pushed himself off the counter. 

“I’ve got to get going, defend my throne and all that.” 

Niall grimaced. “Harry’s already over there. He and Li have been there for ages now. I don’t feel like mediating a fight right now, so behave yourself.”

Fuck Harry. And fuck Niall. And Zayn. And Liam. The shits. 

Whenever Harry and Louis argued, the boy next door, all American boy scout Liam was always the peacemaker. He was friends with both Louis and Harry and wanted everyone to get along and world peace and all that stuff. He was nice and impartial to the divide, such a nice boy he was. Zayn was loyal to Louis, obviously, but only by default and just blinked lazily at the dumb boys who yelled at each other all the time. He patted Louis’ back when they finished, blowing off the imaginary steam coming out of Louis’ ears. Niall also didn’t involve himself at all, but he did the same thing Zayn did to Louis to his own best friend Harry. They both couldn’t be bothered.

And Niall was friends with Liam and Zayn, who were friends with Louis. But Liam and Niall were also friends with Harry, so the friend group was toxic as it is. 

“I always do! Tell your shithead friend,” Louis muttered, turning around quickly and zipping through game cabinets to Galaga.

Liam was off to the side, shooting basketball hoops with a mediocre skill, wearing shorts and a muscle tee. His long socks were scrunched up in the way that he swore was fashionable not just for exercise moms, but for guys too (his legs were just too muscular), and his white shoes bounced against the carpet with heavy thuds. 

And there Harry was, hunched over the game awkwardly because he was so damn tall. He was in a button-up tee tucked into his stupid tapered jeans and he had on his varsity jacket. Louis had burned holes into the ugly jacket all of second period today. They were super expensive for being so ugly and of course, rich boy Harry’s parents bought him one. 

“Hey dickweed, move over!” Louis said, pulling up beside the machine. Harry only rolled his eyes, not letting his attention wander away from the screen. He was concentrating, pressing his big fingers with silver rings onto the keys in quick movements. He had just started this game, he was barely at a decent score. “You’re shit, just give up, curly.”

Harry ignored him, but his nostrils flared and his mouth scrunched up. He pressed the buttons even harder and narrowed his eyes. 

“I was here Monday, I’m sure when you got on you saw the new number one spot,” Louis crossed his arms smugly, his drink resting right next to Harry’s controls but not in the way. Harry smirked, but still said nothing and kept his eyes glued to the screen. 

Louis hated not getting attention and this smug piece of shit was getting under his skin just by breathing. Naturally, Louis elbows him as hard as he can (the last time he did this, Louis realized that, unfortunately, Harry is sturdy and hard muscle and wouldn’t budge without full force, but even then it was just a budge), and since Harry has terrible coordination and can only focus on one thing at a time, his hand misses a button. 

His annoyed groan drowns out the _GAME OVER_ sound and he lets a fist bang against the buttons softly multiple times. He turns to Louis with piercing green eyes throwing daggers at Louis’ own, the blinking light of the game reflecting on his face and sparkling in his eyes. 

“Stick to playing hockey with those brainless losers you’re friends with, freak,” Louis says, fire burning off of every word. 

Harry only gets angrier and steps up to tower over Louis. Ever since last year, Harry has used his new height to his advantage and he thinks that by puffing out his chest, Louis is suddenly now afraid of him. He isn’t. 

“Fuck off, short staff. The hockey team is way better than the pussies you play with on the soccer team. You should check the leaderboard before talking so much shit, dear Louis,” He says it with his usual smugness and his smirk grows big enough to pop out a dimple once he sees Louis’ eyes widen. Louis shoves him to the side immediately and stares at the screen in disbelief. 

HS28 was right at the number one slot, with a score that was at least two thousand points higher than Louis’ last one. LT28 was right underneath it, sad and defeated, and Louis was going to scream. He didn’t say anything for a moment, too pissed off to even react. 

There was an unspoken agreement to sign their initials with the number in their usernames. Louis can’t remember who did it first. It was Louis’ jersey number and it was also Harry’s (which was only a weird coincidence, nothing more) and it was just their number. The first day they met, moments before they’d met any of the other boys (their moms were friends, unfortunately enough), was September 28th in kindergarten and Louis doesn’t remember that, thank you very much. Both their addresses had 28 in it and it was just a weird coincidence. 

They used to insult each other through their usernames, like FUKU or DICK or TWAT or PUSY or BOOB or HAHA, but the owner complained and said they’d be banned if they were caught spreading profanity on any of the games. So now it’s just HS28 and LT28, which was lame, but anything to play video games.

Harry leaned against the side of the cabinet like Louis had been and had the biggest, most pleased smile ever. His arms were crossed over his chest and the pressure from the edge of the machine against his bicep couldn’t have been comfortable, but he was dramatic. “Can you reach or do you need me to grab a step stool? Or maybe you can’t read? It says—“

“I know what it says, jackass. I’m going to beat it.” Louis was already reaching into his pocket and Harry laughed. 

“No, you won’t. It took you hours to reach that score, there’s no way you can beat it with only an hour left before closing time.” Harry grabbed Louis’ Slurpee and sipped the straw like it was his drink. He probably drank almost all of it, fucking big mouth.

Louis gulped, if only in disgust. 

“Oh, I fucking will, rabbit teeth.” It was Louis’ turn to step up to Harry, reaching out for his drink. Harry raised it above his head, his mouth stained in red already.

“Over my dead body, nail biter. Just admit that you’re never going to be as good as me, because no matter how many hours you spend playing this game, I’ll just come in and beat it in one try,” Harry spat, his voice dripping with the confidence that he always has. 

Louis was seething and he could feel his whole body ablaze. Harry Styles was going to be the death of him. 

“Give. Me. My. Slurpee. Back.” He curled his hands into tight fists by his side and his body was tense as he watched Harry take another sip. The last time they’d fought was five years ago, eight grade year, and for some reason, once it ended, it hadn’t settled well with Louis when he was in bed at night. It was probably because he beat the other boy up badly. 

Zayn and Niall and Liam said that the fight was even since Louis was fast while Harry was slow, but Harry was strong while Louis was weak, and they both didn’t punch each other. They mainly rolled around on the ground. Whatever. Louis knows he got a punch or something in there and he won. 

Harry eyed his hands with a mocking scoff. “What are you going to do about it, angel face? Hit me? I’d like to see you try. We both know I’ll have you pinned to the ground in five seconds flat. Doll.”

Louis wanted to rip out his curls and scratch his body with seething red marks that burned him every time Harry moved. He hated it when Harry called him pet names mockingly. It hurt more than the stupid insults and Louis just hated it. He stepped closer, so they were chest to chest and Louis tilted his head up to glare at Harry just as harshly as the green-eyed boy did towards him. The red Slurpee was in Harry’s ginormous left hand and Louis wanted it back. 

“Louis! I didn’t know you were here. When did you get here? Where’s Zayn?” Liam’s cheery voice shattered the globe of fire between the boys, but neither boy moved from their spot or removed their eyes from each other.

Liam laughed in the tense silence, pretending Louis had responded and patted Harry on the chest before pulled him back into his chest. Louis’ eyes stayed on Harry’s. 

“Oh you’re so funny, Lou,” He chuckled, oblivious to the death glares steaming off of the other two boys. Oblivious, but really, he was just used to it. “Let’s all take a break and find Niall and Zayn, yeah?” He didn’t wait for an answer, steering Harry’s dead weight towards the counter with difficulty, since the taller boy stubbornly turned his head to glare back at Louis. 

Idiot. 

Zayn and Niall were chatting about whatever they liked to talk about while staring in each other’s eyes and as soon as Liam came, they directed their heart eyes towards him. They were disgustingly, embarrassingly in love. All three of them. It was the most normal thing about their friend group—young teenage love—but even then it wasn’t normal at all. Louis sat at a barstool next to Zayn and Liam led Harry to the corner two spaces from Zayn. 

Even that wasn’t a safe enough distance between Louis and Harry.

“Get a room, lovebirds. Another Slurpee please, Niall,” Louis sounded annoyed and Zayn rolled his eyes before swinging his chair to face Louis. Niall and Liam’s cheeks both turned red. They were such prudes.

“Shut up, we could say the same about you,” Zayn muttered, passing his uneaten plate of fries to Louis. He knows that Zayn, being the amazing best friend he is, only ordered them for Louis. He loved Zayn, even if Zayn said stupid shit all the time. 

Harry scoffed. “I wouldn’t touch Louis with a stick,” he growled from his side of the counter, passing his glare from Z to Louis. 

“Nobody wants you to touch them, Harold,” Louis snorted. 

Liam sighed like Louis’ mom when she was fed up and Niall slammed the Slurpee on the counter. “I question my friendship with you two every time we’re together. Now shut up. I’m going to shut the games off and kick out those dweebs, I’m closing early because I’m tired.”

Doom still had an hour left before closing time and Niall still had another hour on his shift after that to clean up. Worst employee ever.

“It's a wonder why you haven’t been fired yet,” Louis called after him as he made his way to the control room, receiving a middle finger in response. 

“What are you two going to do after this?” Liam asked with his chin in his elbows, elbows on the counter. It was meant for both of them to answer, but Louis knows that it was only for Zayn to respond to. Judging from Harry’s eye roll and fake gag, he knew that too. 

Zayn shrugged. “I think me and Lou were just gonna head to his house, do that lab pre-work for Vernon. What about you?”

Liam nodded eagerly. “Me too! Niall’s my partner, so we’re doing it together. That’s why I’m here, so I could pick Niall up after work. Maybe we can all work on it together?” He looked hopeful, his big brown puppy eyes and soft smile were just as irresistible as Zayn’s. Louis knows that just meant the three of them were going to flirt and shit while Louis was left secluded in the corner of his room. 

As long as they didn’t turn in a blank sheet and Louis did as minimal work as possible, the three of them can fuck inside Louis’ house for all he cared. (Not really).

“Ugh, I hate Vernon. I had detention with him last Friday. Coach chewed me out. All because I was chewing gum,” Harry’s face scrunched up in distaste. He was picking at a napkin, making a little snowstorm of pieces of cloth on the counter. 

Louis had to laugh. “You chew like a cow, I’m surprised it was only Friday and not for eternity.” He tossed a fry into his mouth. It was way too undercooked. If Niall got paid to do jackshit all day, Louis needed to apply here.

Harry twisted his head. “Ha-Ha. Very funny. You’d make an impressive clown.” He yanked another napkin out of the holder and picked at it again.  
Niall came back, the lights of the games and the cool colored strobe lights gone, with only the regular white lights on. Those lights sucked and they removed the mystical air of Doom. Niall said he couldn’t clean with strobe lights on without getting a seizure, so Louis supposes it would okay, except Niall never cleans.

“I hate my job. I thought I’d get to play more video games,” Niall said, lazily wiping off the counter with a wet rag. He wasn’t achieving anything at all.

All the other boys rolled their eyes. “Niall, you don’t do much behind there. Might as well go and play them on your shift.” Liam suggested it gently, which was weird because Liam wasn’t one for abandoning responsibility. Louis guessed it was love or whatever. 

“Whats Owens going to do? Hire one of the hockey jocks to take your spot so they can turn this place into a delinquent rager?” Zayn asked, disgust on the tip of his tongue. 

It was no question that the hockey team was assholes. They were muscle jocks who shared the girls on the cheer team and threw crazy parties (as crazy as Lanesboro parties could ever get since the police station was so close) and shoved kids in lockers or the trash or even tied them to the flag pole. They were big-time jerks, on a whole other spectrum than Harry. Louis would choke before he admitted this, but Harry was actually against all the stuff the hockey boys did, so as captain he forced them to be a little nicer.

And that was a decent thing to do, which is the part that Louis would kill himself over rather than say it out loud. 

“Hey,” Harry’s long drawl was offended, but they all knew it was true. If anybody else in this town worked here, it would turn into a party place capital. “They’re not that bad.”

Niall spoke to say something, probably to slowly tell Harry he was wrong, but Zayn beat him to it. Zayn hated jocks, being an art kid and whatnot. Louis munched on his fries happily, waiting to see Zayn snap. “Did you see what Chucky did to Bryan?”

Liam winced as if he were the poor freshman who got a wedgie from seven-foot mouth breather, Chuck. “That was pretty bad, H. I thought you said no more bullying?”

Harry’s face dropped and he slouched over in the stool, letting his hands drop to his lap. He sighed, “Yeah. I did. Chuck’s an asshole. I made him run extra during practice and put the equipment away. I think I’ll probably bench him, too. But I made him apologize to Bryan.” 

Louis took a loud sip from his straw. “You’re such a saint. You know Bryan’s mom heard about it. His dad too. Can’t imagine how shit that feels, knowing your kid is being sent to his doom every time they drop him off at school.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Louis, but the guilt was still visible. “I handled it, alright? It won’t happen again. Mind your business, Tomlinson.”

Louis leaned forward, stomach pressed against the counter in defense. “Hard to mind my business when Bryan is scared all the time, Styles.”

Liam intervened. Again and always. “I’m gonna take a leak, then maybe we can all head over to Louis’ house? Harry, I don’t know if you want to come, since Cara is your partner, but you’re more than welcome.” He gave him a pat on the back and Louis groaned. 

“He’s not welcome in my home,” Louis always said that, but Harry came anyways. Jay loved Harry. Louis’ life was shit. 

“Everything is dwarfed sized anyways,” Harry snarked. They were glaring at each other again. 

“I’ve got to piss, too. Stand down, boy,” Zayn said, patting Louis’ head like a dog. Worst best friend ever. He made his way over to the restrooms, Liam following shortly after. God, Louis hoped they didn’t bang. 

Niall whistled to himself as he wiped down the counters still, bobbing his head to nothing. 

“I heard Cara likes Ashley,” He blurted out randomly. Niall never dealt with silence well. Cara was an alright person. Louis had never talked to her, and he truthfully avoided her because she was so tall, but she was pretty and tomboyish. Ashley was a cheerleader, but also the girliest person at school. They would be an interesting pair. 

Harry hummed. “Yeah, she does. Might ask her to Homecoming next week.”

“Nice,” Niall said it like everything was simple. Louis guessed it was. “Hey, I forgot to lock the control room, I’ll be back in a sec. Don’t kill each other.” He dropped the rag and pushed open the flinging gate to let himself out. 

He was gone before Louis could blink and he was left alone with Harry again. Great. 

“Is your mom home? I love Jay,” Harry said it so smugly and lovingly. Fuck his great relationship with Louis’ mom. Louis’ relationship with Anne was better anyways. 

Louis let out a slow, fake laugh. “Leave my mom alone, perv.”

Harry raised a brow, “Last time you told me that, Jay said I was always welcome. And that she’d be very sad if I didn’t keep in touch with her. Anyways, I hope she’s home. She’s such a beautiful woman and I’d love to—”

“Shut up, dipshit. How’s Gemma? Always thought she was lovely, especially after she hit puberty.”

Harry stood up defensively. “Watch your mouth, fairy. Anyways, everyone in all of Minnesota knows how gay you are.” It was true.

Louis wasn’t exactly the quietest when it came to his sexuality. He was flamboyant and unashamed and unapologetic. No one gave him shit for it, not even the hockey boys oddly enough, but Lanesboro was a pretty accepting town as it is. They had a ton of LGBT people around, which was weird since the state was so red. Lanesboro was a haven for the LGBT. “Maybe your sister is good enough to change my mind.”

Harry’s eyes were warning slits and his big hands were in fists. His stance was strong and it was a reminder of how Harry could fucking take Louis in a fight. The air was tense and thick and full of hatred and fire and Louis wished that they could fight each other without getting in trouble. Harry was about to fire back, slowly making his way over to Louis, when they heard a fence rattle. It was distant, but then it grew firmer, like the fence was being chained off and then it was followed by the sound of a lock.

Both of them practically ran over to the front doors, cutting between the rows of game cabinets, feeling their blood run cold and their hearts sink when they saw the fenced gate in front of the doors. The doors were tinted a dark blue, but they could make out the shadows of Niall, Liam, and Zayn, and hear their hushed giggles and whispers. 

“Hey, what the fuck are you playing at, Horan?” Harry sounded angry, his brows were furrowed and his jaw was locked. He smashed a heavy hand against the gate, the racketing made the mood all the more panicked. Louis put a hand around an opening in the fence and shook it as hard he could alongside Harry’s banging. 

Niall’s stupid cackle sounded loud and clear. “Aye, stop shaking it! If you break anything, my ass is grass and I won’t hesitate to throw you two under the bus with me.” He was putting the keys away in his pocket, which is what it sounded like too. He’s dead. 

“You’re so fucking dead, Horan,” Harry growled out. He hadn’t stopped rattling the fence against the door. It was pointless. It was bolted to the ceiling. During the day, it was folded up and shoved against the ceiling, and when Doom was closed, it was pulled down and padlocked to a latch on the ground. The fence wasn’t going up. 

Louis was too shocked to speak. It couldn’t be real. This was some sort of joke. There’s no way they could be locked inside Doom on a Wednesday night with Harry. Nothing made sense anymore. Harry did all the complaining and threw out a bunch of useless threats to the boys on the other side of the door, on the side of freedom. 

“This is all in the name of character development for both of you. We don’t like to see our best friends argue with each other! This feud between you guys has gone on for you long and we just want you guys to put aside your differences. For us, at least,” Liam’s sweet voice of reason sounded like Louis’ mom. 

Louis’ eyes must have bugged out of his head. “And holding us hostage is the perfect solution to that? This is insane. What the actual fuck is wrong with you guys? I can’t believe—“ Louis could feel his panic set in. Harry could kill him. 

Zayn’s hands went up in the air, the shadow against the tinted door projected his movement of annoyance. “You two are insane. The sexual tension between you two drives us insane. Please just fuck it out already! We’ve dealt with it for thirteen years or whatever, the least you guys owe us is to kiss each other or something.” His arms ended up crossed against his chest and Louis couldn’t see their faces, but he knew they were all too pleased with themselves.

“We’ll be back before school starts tomorrow morning, so don’t stay up too late. We’ll bring clothes and backpacks. Please behave! Be civil and treat each other nicely. You guys are perfect for each other, underneath all the stubbornness and arrogance. Love you boys, see you tomorrow!” Liam was such a fucking mother hen. His shadow was already retreating to his car. 

“Stick it out, troopers. The couch in the staff room isn’t comfy, but you’ll probably be on top of each other the whole time, so it won’t matter. Wear protection, bunny rabbits.” And Niall was gone, with a one-fingered salute and a pat to Zayn’s hip. 

Zayn hummed. “We’ll all smoke on Friday night, to make it up to you guys. This is what you two dicks need.” He didn’t even say goodbye, just stared through the tinted door as if he could see through it. He stared straight and stiffly like he could see Louis’ wide, frightened eyes. 

It was hard to see beyond a few feet in front of the window because of the dark blue, but the headlights of Liam and Zayn’s cars were taunting the two boys as they flashed through quickly. They were gone as they pulled away and this was happening. They were going to be locked inside a stupid arcade for the night. 

Both boys didn’t say anything as they stared at the locked doors in front of them. They were never alone this long. The night was going to be an eternity. Harry kicked at the fence one more time before storming off somewhere to the left. So he was going to be angry the whole night and ignore Louis’ existence, like a child. Perfect. 

Louis let out a huff of air before going back to the counter area. He went straight to the staff room, flipping a switch and letting the shitty white lighting come on. It was a small room, with a big couch shoved against a wall for a more relaxed feel. Everything else was white and it made the room anything but relaxing. It was creepy and off-putting. Louis tried to ignore it as he shuffled through the fridge for forgotten lunches. 

Chips and coke and a piece of birthday cake weren’t too bad. He plopped himself on a white plastic chair at a white plastic table, popping the bag open and reading the bulletin board from his seat. He didn’t have his glasses on, so it was mainly a guessing game. It probably hadn’t even been five minutes before Louis felt scared. 

He hated being left alone, especially at night and in places he didn’t know very well. Zayn was forced to spend the night whenever his mom worked the nights. He didn’t do scary movies or stories or crime readings because he always psyched himself out. He was paranoid. The boys had forced him to watch Poltergeist with them when it came out last month and he still wasn’t over it. He could feel his heart race and he frantically moved his eyes around the survey his surroundings. 

He kept an eye on the door and chewed as quietly as he could to listen for any strange noises. He didn’t know where Harry was, but Harry would just give him shit if he followed him around all night. 

The hum of a generator sounded and the music of the arcade games had Louis jump out of his seat from the surprise. What the fuck was Harry doing?

Louis left his food at the table and tiptoed around the arcade as quickly as he could to try to find the curly-haired boy. He was spooked for no reason and seeing another person would calm him down, even if said person was the biggest asshole on the face of the earth. Harry could give Louis all the fucking shit for it if it meant that Louis felt safer. 

He found him leaned over Space Invaders. The game was a bit older and not as popular, but it was still a classic. Louis thought it was cool. He tried to slow his anxious pace down and walk over as calmly as he could. It didn’t work because as soon as he came close enough for Harry to notice him, the other boy raised an eyebrow at him. He mainly kept his focus on the game and Louis stared at the green pixel monster as a distraction. 

“What do you want?” 

Louis shrugged to come off as nonchalant as possible, but his face was still bunched in worry. He let little tiny white aliens cloud his vision and the beeping sound ring in his ears.

“Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of being alone, Tomlinson,” His voice was full of incredulous amusement and Louis hated when he made fun of personal things. “Remember that time at that one sleepover when you cried because you hid in the basement during hide-and-seek and you got scared? Ah man, that was hilarious. Jesus Christ, you’re such a pussy.”

This was a great distraction. Louis could so do arguments and petty insulting. Besides, they were all in second grade and they had just listened to Zayn tell scary stories. “Shut the fuck up, Styles. I haven’t forgotten when you pissed yourself in fourth grade.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Shut up or I’ll go somewhere else and I won’t let you follow me.” It was an empty threat, Louis knew somehow, but he still shut up. Harry was a dick, but he wasn’t that much of a dick to leave Louis alone when he was scared. Louis knew that. Doom wasn’t that big, either, so they were bound to bump into each other at some point.

There was a moment of silence between them, as Louis watched Harry play the game and Harry focused on the game. Once Harry’s character died, Louis shoved at his shoulder, pushing him aside. 

“Bet I can beat you, pissbrain,” He said, already digging in his pockets for a quarter. Harry moved aside easily enough and scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.

“You’re on, pussy,” He responded, leaning into the screen to watch him. The game wasn’t complex at all, it mainly just took timing and dodging. Louis’ twin sisters could probably play it and they were babies. It was just boring after a while and so Louis only got to 1020, which was nowhere near Harry’s 1370, but it was lame.

Harry was laughing and being the smug bastard he always was, but Louis wasn’t having it. “Whatever. That’s not even a game of skill or anything. Donkey Kong is so much harder. That’s a game of smart decision making, precision, skill. Only the best of the best play that game. It’s also a game that you won’t beat me at. Ever.”

“Try me,” Harry said, accepting the challenge. He marched over to the cabinet a few rows down and put his hands out, gesturing for Louis to step right up. His movements reminded Louis of a chauffeur escorting a lady inside. It was all mocking. “Step up to the plate, princess.”

Louis said nothing as he put in a quarter and wrapped a finger around the handlebar. It didn’t take him long to reach level three and it didn’t take him long to beat the game. He didn’t beat his high score that was flashing in green at the top, but he still made it on the leaderboard. He’s played this game enough times to be an expert at it and his name was on there enough times for Harry to get the idea that Louis was a master Donkey Kong player. 

“Good luck, Styles. You’d have to beat the entire game to get anywhere close to my lowest score on the leaderboard. You don’t stand a chance,” Louis was being smug and confident, but only because he knows that this was his game. The little man in blue overalls and a red hat was one with Louis; they were a perfect match and no one was going to beat his score. 

Harry shook his head, fishing a shiny silver coin from his wallet. He let it fall in the machine and his face was immediately scrunched in concentration. He looked like a frog and Louis told him so. He always points out when Harry looks like a frog, which is often, and Harry always tells him he looks like Tinker Bell. That wasn’t an insult since Tink is very pretty and she’s a goddamn pixie. Zayn had pointed that out and Harry’s red face had only spat out an indecency. It didn’t matter, since Louis was a much more attractive Peter Pan, anyways. 

Harry had reached a point at the end of level one where he was in a tricky position. Louis had recognized that spot—it was all about the timing in the movements to avoid the barrels and the direction to put Mario in. Harry should’ve moved to the right quickly and jumped over a barrel. Any expert knows this, but Harry wasn't an expert and he lost. He lost at level one. 

Louis couldn’t stop laughing, especially when he noticed Harry’s red angry face. He put a hand on his stomach and a hand over his mouth, doubling over in loud cackles. 

“You, you can’t even make it passed the first level,” Louis giggled out, pointing a finger at him and then doubling over again. “You fucking sucked shit, Harold, oh god.” 

Harry was glaring fire into Louis’ skin and it wasn’t burning in the slightest. “I’m gonna go again,” He muttered, his nostrils flaring and his lips pursed. He was mad, but he was always angry when he was around Louis. 

Louis shrugged, leaning against the cabinet after dramatically wiping away tears. “Sure thing, bud. You’re not going to beat me. Whew, thanks for the laugh, by the way. I owe you one. Maybe I can give you a few pointers? You know, so you can pass the first level this time.”

He was watching Harry’s screen and he was making all the wrong moves. He would try to go too quickly or jump too soon and he was absolute shit. It was saddening to bear witness to. He lost again, obviously, getting nowhere near where he got the first time, and Louis had to laugh at him again. Obviously. And when he tried a third time, it was no better. It wasn’t better by the fifth time or the seventh time or even the tenth time. They must have spent at least an hour in front of the game and Harry just couldn’t get it. 

“Oh shut up and get a life, loser,” Harry snapped finally, cutting off another one of Louis’ laughter fits. Louis just smiled and let out a deep breath. 

“Oh dear Harold, you’re the only loser here.” He shot him the sweetest, toothiest grin he could muster up and Harry walked past him, bumping his shoulder into Louis’ roughly. Louis didn’t let it get to him. He fucking annihilated Harry at Donkey Kong. He followed the taller boy around and Harry bet that he could beat Louis at Frogger, so they played and Louis surely lost. 

Naturally, Louis bet Harry that he couldn’t beat Louis at Dig Dug, which ultimately led to bets in every single game. It was like everything Louis and Harry did—full of stupid insults and elbow nudges and anger.

Louis won at Missile Command, Harry at Popeye, Louis at Tempest, Harry at Xevious, Louis at Joust, Harry at Zaxon, Louis at Pac-Man, and Harry at Ms. Pac-Man. They played air hockey and Harry won, but only because of his long arms. Louis won at foosball. Harry won at both the basketball hoops and skeeball, but again, he was born with obnoxiously long limbs. It was a bit boring since they’d played everything at Doom and there wasn’t much left to do. 

They’d been strolling around Doom for ten minutes now, spewing out whatever shit insults on the tip of their tongues and both their hands were stuffed in their pockets. Occasionally, their arms brush against each other accidentally, and the shock from it made both boys jump away from each other immediately. 

“You nearly failed math last year, dips hit,” Harry pointed out. They arguing over who was smarter. Louis’ grades may not show it (he was lazy, sue him) but he was smarter. 

Louis scoffed. “You nearly failed Drama. An elective.”

“Not all of us are as dramatic as you are, princess!” Harry shouted. His hands were waving around rather theatrically and Louis’ eyes darted between the taller boy’s wild gestures and his face with an eyebrow raised in disbelief. 

“Sure,” Louis coughed out. “Anyways, you’re too slow. You talk like a turtle walks. Slow. And you barely even make sense when you talk. Marie Shang asked you about your trip to London and you said it was ‘quite big.’”

“Hey,” Harry only seemed to prove Louis’ point by dragging out the word in his deep drawl. “It was a part of my experience. I had noticed the city was big, so I just told her. You talk a mile a minute and you’re so fucking jumpy. You can’t be still to save your life.”

Louis’ nose twitched. “I can too, dickhead. I just know how to live a little. Your panties are almost as tight as Liam’s,” Louis muttered as he stopped and got down on a knee. Louis felt quite proud at that last one. Liam was uptight, the lovely puppy he was. He took his time tying his shoes, knowing Harry was only using his time to come up with some comeback he thought was witty.

He made sure his laces wouldn’t come undone before standing straight again, brushing off his pants. Harry was eyeing a machine in front of them, his eyes narrowed in deep thought and his hands stuffed in the varsity jacket. Louis followed the trail of Harry’s sight and found a glowing neon pink machine with red hearts decorated all around the box. It was towering over them and Louis gulped as he read “Love Tester: Test Your Compatibility Now.” There were a couple on it, with heart eyes and blonde hair, and there were different levels of measurement. The lowest “Blah” and then was Rookie Blues and then at the very top read “Madly in Love" in large cursive letters. 

The red box had an area for two people to place one hand each on top of a sensor and the lights were blinking bright enough to blind Louis. The amount of hearts was ridiculous and the pinks and reds were making Louis sweat. The amount of time they were spending in front of the machine was making Louis sweat.

Harry nudged him, nodding his head towards the machine. “Bet we’ll brake it cause our score is gonna be so low,” He had a smirk on his face, but his face was flushed. He was holding a quarter between two of his fingers, eyeing Louis carefully. 

Louis’ throat was dry. “Er, yeah, sure. You’re on,” His voice sounded weak. Why was he so nervous?

Harry said something like cool or whatever and put the quarter in the slot, the sound of it falling inside the machine was like an echo ringing in Louis’ ears. He gulped again before placing a clammy hand on the machine, listening to beeps and watching the light bulbs blink on the sides of the machine. It seemed like it was taking forever. 

After an eternity, the machine projected loud kissing sounds and there was a blissful sigh from the machine’s girly voice. The machine was blinking “MADLY IN LOVE” in both of their faces and they both immediately drew their hands back in surprised disgust. They both had identical faces of confusion and incredulous. There was something wrong with the fucking machine. 

Neither boy said anything as they caught their breaths and stared at the machine as if it had just attacked them. The long pause was full of awkward tension and their faces were burning in embarrassment. 

“Er, there’s something wrong with the machine,” Harry cleared his throat. His voice was an octave higher than it normally was.

Louis cleared his own throat as well, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. “Yeah, obviously. I hate you,” He muttered it, but it wasn’t as spiteful as it normally was. Both boys were in their heads and their voices sounded distant and far away. They didn’t say much after that, kept a very large gap between them as Louis followed Harry’s tense body to the staff room where he found the boy digging his big hand into the half-eaten bag of chips. He sipped out of Louis’ coke like it was his and he irritated Louis to no end. He always waltzed around acting like he owned everything and it was so annoying. 

Ever since they’d met, Louis had instantly known that this boy wasn’t meant to be one of his friends. The very first day of grade school and he’d just known that this boy was going to ruin his life. His gut had felt something weird and his stomach had twisted in his stomach when he’d peeked out from behind his mother’s leg and made eye contact with the little cherub boy. He wasn’t shy, like Louis was, and was standing proudly in front of his mother to show Jay his lunchbox. Louis didn’t have much of an opinion on him. But when they made eye contact, the weird butterflies in his stomach warned Louis that this boy was an enemy. And the minute Harry had seen him from his hiding spot, Harry had felt the same way. Jay and Anne had practically shoved them into the classroom and forced a friendship on two boys who just stared at each other like a kitten and a puppy studying one another. 

Louis’ gut had told him this boy was different than the other kids who Louis became friends with. 

It was right because as they’d grown up together, they couldn’t be civil with each other at all. There was something about Harry that had set Louis off and vice versa. In grade school, they’d always be mean to each other in the same way that the other boys were mean to the girls they liked, except there wasn’t any attraction. Harry would kick Louis’ shins as Jade would do to Joshua, and Louis would try to lock Harry in the bathroom like Max would do to Azia. At lunch, they’d throw things at each other and stick their tongues out at one another and get each other in trouble. 

In middle school, they’d shove each other against the lockers and they’d spread rumors about each other. They’d wrestle and call each other stupid names and hide each others’ bikes and PE clothes and books. Harry would trash the restrooms and blame it on Louis. Louis would tag the walls and blame it on Harry. Louis would write notes in class and pass it around, using Harry’s name so he could get detention. Harry would doodle in library books so Louis would have to pay library fees. 

High school was different. The tension was stronger, thicker. They were constantly itchy in each others’ presence like they needed to piss one another off or they’d explode. (Liam said it’s because they liked to have the others’ sole attention, but he’s an idiot.) They said all kinds of stupid stuff, but they didn’t try to get each other in trouble anymore. It was just catty pet names and arguments over who was better. Louis needed to be the best at everything Harry thought he was the best in. And Harry tried to beat Louis at everything Louis did. Louis went to all of Harry’s hockey games to laugh whenever he fucked up—hardly, unfortunately—and boo loudly when he slid past the audience box—very frequently—and Harry went to Louis’ soccer games to do the same. They bickered all the time, heated eye contact and chests pressed together and heavy breaths. 

Harry fucked up Louis’ dates and Louis was rude to all of Harry’s because they couldn’t have each other happy. Obviously. They hated each other, sworn enemies, and rivals til death. Never have they ever gotten along, nor have they ever had feelings for each other. They weren’t madly in love, they didn’t want to fuck each other, they weren’t constantly craving each other’s attention. No matter what the boys said or what a stupid arcade game said. 

“I was eating those, dick,” Louis said, snatching the bag out of Harry’s hand. There wasn’t much left in the bag, the selfish dick. He took the bag to the lumpy couch and sat on the floor against the couch. His legs stretched out and foot pressed snugly against the wall.

“Whatever,” Harry muttered, his big hand wrapped around the can of coke and the other holding the plate of birthday cake. He slid down against the wall, sitting opposite of Louis, right next to Louis’ shoes. Harry’s legs were so long that he had to have them bent upward a little. Fuck his long legs.

It was quiet, only the sound of Louis chewing on the three chips leftover and Harry’s fork scraping the paper plate filling the silence. It wasn’t awkward, but it was tense. Everything between the boys was tense. 

The position wasn’t the most comfortable—the couch was too solid against Louis’ back and the floor was cold and hard—but Louis could feel himself start to doze off. It must have been midnight at least and they still had to go to school. Jay would absolutely murder Louis if she found out he’d ditched class during the first month and the lab stuff was due tomorrow and Louis was captain. They were going to start tryouts for underclassmen and he had to be there. 

Tryout season was the worst because Coach Corden (and Louis, by default) pushed everyone to their limits. He made conditioning days torture days filled with constant running and leg workouts and kids cried all the time. It was fucking rough and it was meant to push everyone, to weed out the weak and show who would give their all for a spot. It put returning players in a pissy mood and Louis had to put up with everyone’s shit. 

Lanesboro was a small town, so Louis knew all the kids and adults and everyone. He knew which kids were going to try out—Mr. Brons’ son, Gigi’s brother, the kid from two streets away, and a handful of others—and he knew which kids were going to make it. Gigi’s brother, as good looking as he was for a freshman, couldn’t kick a ball to save his life. Mr. Brons’ son was pretty solid between the goalposts and he was bulky enough to be a mean defender, but he was slow. There was a lot to work on this year.   
  
He was envisioning tryouts on the back of his eyelids, his head starting to droop against his shoulder when he heard humming. 

Harry was humming. Loudly and purposely off-key and slapping his hands against his thighs to make up a crappy beat. Louis opened an eye and Harry was bobbing his head to his made-up song. The shorter boy huffed out a breath, hoping that the taller boy would get the hint. 

It was quiet again for a moment and Louis let his eyes slide closed. He felt himself start to doze off again, his head leaned back this time before Harry started belting out a song, startling Louis into sitting straight. Louis’ heart rate was booming with the suddenness of Harry’s loud singing and he glared at the other boy who paid him no mind as he clutched the plastic white fork in his hand. It was a pretend microphone and Harry’s eyes were closed as he sang out a passionately off-key version of “Jack and Diane.”

“_Oh yeah, life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone—_“ He screeched out like he was a rockstar on stage, all shoulder movements and head bobs. 

Louis groaned louder than Harry was singing. “Will you shut the fuck up for once in your life? I’m trying to sleep and that song sounds even shittier than it does on the radio with your voice,” Louis complained, turning his body away from the boy who continued on. 

“_Oh yeah, say life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone, they walk on,_” Harry belted it out, turning his body to serenade Louis. His voice echoed in the small staff room and it was making Louis’ head hurt. 

“Shut up, asshole! I will kill you if you don’t stop singing that shit song,” Louis faced Harry with steam coming out of his ears. He hated that song. It was stupid. It was even stupider when Harry sang it like that. 

Harry smiled in response, opening his twinkling eyes like Louis’ angry outburst was a shiny new Christmas present. 

“Fine, fuckface. I’ll stop singing that song,” He sounded smug and he shrugged off Louis’ suspicious stare as he settled back down against the wall.

Silence encompassed them again and Louis was reminded of how tired he was. He was exhausted and he wanted to sleep. He was vaguely aware of Harry’s close presence beside him and he was also aware of how easy it was to get Harry to be quiet again. Nothing was ever that easy with Harry. He opened his eyes in perfect timing to see Harry on his knees towering over Louis, waving his hands wildly and singing out. 

_“You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I met you. I picked you out, I shook you out, and turned you around, into someone new! Now five years later on you’ve got the world at your feet, success has been so easy for you, but don’t forget it's me who put you where you are now, and I can put you back down too,”_ He was shouting it, even louder than he did with his previous song. The veins in his neck were visible and he was snapping his fingers and moving his arms in a weird dance. 

Louis got up on his feet, finally gaining a height advantage over the other boy who was still on his knees. “You fucking dick head! I’m trying to sleep and I can’t do it with your shitty singing. For once in your life, can you please have some courtesy? Not everything revolves around you and your gigantic head!” He had to scream it over Harry’s voice, which only got increasingly louder and drowned out Louis’ protests. 

Harry stood on his feet as Louis crossed his arms, the height difference back to normal. Harry looked like he was going to burst into laughter at any moment and Louis’ frustration only grew. 

“_It’s much too late to find! You think you’ve changed your mind, you better change it back or we will both be sorry! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me, oooh!” _Harry was laughing through his screeching vocals, gyrating his hips and thrusting them forward. 

Louis thought he looked ridiculous. Harry couldn’t dance to save his life. Louis rolled his eyes and impatiently waited for Harry’s performance to finish. He went all the way through the whole song, jumping onto the couch and landing on his knees for a drum solo. He finished off with a breathless huff, holding his hands out wide and bowing. 

“That was complete, utter shit. You singlehandedly set the record for the worst live performer of all time in only two minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lanesboro PD pops up due to noise complaints. I almost feel like I shouldn’t be mean to you anymore, knowing that you embarrass yourself worse than anything I could do to you,” Louis said. His voice was deadpanned and unimpressed. 

Harry’s grin didn’t falter one bit. “Got you to wake up, though.”

“You scared the sleep out of me, prick. Halloween isn’t for another two months.”

Harry seemed to consider it. “Only fair, since you wear your scariest costume every day, all day, all year.”

Louis scoffed. “Nice try, but we all know your uncoordinated limbs moving on the dance floor at Homecoming last year still haunts all of Lanesboro.” Before Homecoming last year, they had all taken a few shots and smoked around a bit. Harry had been extra anxious that night and took way more than he should’ve. The music and the decorations must’ve done something to Harry’s inebriated mind because he threw his arms and legs around and jumped up and down and disco danced and whooped and cheered on the dance floor so wildly that he ripped his tux. 

It was embarrassing for everyone involved, even the chaperones who were too bewildered to pull him aside for dancing violations. Niall thought it was the best thing ever and had encouraged him up until Harry started mimicking sex and thrust into the air dirtily. Everyone had watched in horrified amusement as the hockey captain’s intoxication clumsily danced the night away. He hadn’t lived it down, but he stopped being bashful about it a month later. He was almost proud of himself. 

It was Harry’s turn to roll his eyes. “At least I had a great time and didn’t waste the night crying over some boy.” Ouch, low blow. 

While Harry was dancing the night away, Louis had been stood up. Aiden had asked Louis to the dance, the same boy who Louis thought he was in love with and had promised to pick him up an hour before the dance. He never showed up. Harry, who had been in a pissy mood since Aiden had asked Louis to the dance, thought it was the best thing ever and his new cheery mood made Louis feel even more shitty. So the few drinks Louis had to rid his sadness only made it worse and he drunkenly cried at the dance, and then on the way home in the backseat of Liam’s mom’s station wagon. He cried right next to Harry, who had cursed out Aiden because ruining Louis’ life was his job, not Aiden’s. 

It was the worst night of his life, but also pretty great because Harry made a fool of himself. 

Louis’ face faltered, but his stubbornness stood strong. He wasn’t going to back down because Harry was a dick. Louis could be even meaner. “I’ve never cried over losing a big game before. I can lead my team to win championships.”

The hockey team lost last season and Harry hadn’t cried, but he was pretty damn hurt. The other team was from big-city Minneapolis, so they were fucking good and there’s no way a team from the middle of nowhere Lanesboro could beat them. Louis knew that, but it was just as low of a blow as Harry’s shot. 

Harry sat down in his spot against the wall, perching his legs on top of the couch cushion. “We’ll see how fucking great you are this season.”

Louis took his seat and didn’t find the energy to respond. He just wanted to go home. He could feel that Harry sensed this because he didn’t say anything again.

He felt a nudge and looked to see Harry’s knee knock against his shoulder. “Let’s play 21 questions, but don’t ask stupid questions. This will be our one attempt at civility, for the sake of Mommy Liam and the other two shits. We can tell them we tried, but it didn’t work. We’ll go back to hating each other.”

Harry held out a big hand, as a sort of truce. Louis stared at it for a moment, only shaking his hand after Harry raised an impatient eyebrow. They drew their hands back as quickly as they could, Louis hated the burning shock of skin contact. Harry sighed, letting his head rest against the wall and stared at the ceiling as if he were looking for a question up there. 

“Er. Why haven’t you got your license yet?” It was a random question and this game was going to awkward. 

Louis took a moment before responding. “Dunno. I’m lazy, broke. Zayn and Liam drive me everywhere so I guess I just haven’t got around to it.” He was also terrified of getting behind the wheel and crashing into everything, but details were irrelevant.  
“Lame, but okay.”

There wasn’t much that Louis didn’t know about the other boy, and Louis is assuming vice versa. They paid attention to details and they were constantly around each other because of the other boys and it just made sense to them both that they knew each other’s least favorite foods and shoe size and everything else and still hated each other. It made sense. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, Louis would tell Zayn. 

“Out of Zayn, Liam, Niall, who would you rather be stuck on an island with?” 

Harry huffed out a breath that sounded like a laugh. He hummed, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows. “Uh, well. They all are useful and useless in different areas. Zayn wouldn’t want to get his hands dirty, but he has common sense and he’d leave me alone, which is nice, but then again, he’d probably leave me forever. Liam is a mother hen and can be logical sometimes, but he also panics and overthinks and he’d be an emotional wreck. He’s also not the brightest when it comes to common sense. Niall would eat through our rations, but he’d make me laugh and he’s optimistic. So, er. I guess, uh. Myself?”

Louis laughed. “I never thought I’d say this but I completely agree. Zayn’s shit at doing anything with his hands that isn’t rolling up a blunt or drawing. Liam. Just, I can hear him crying already. And Niall’s pale skin would burn off.”

Harry let out a half-smile. “Fuck, marry, kill: Niall, Zayn, Liam.”

“You can’t ask me to kill off one of our friends, shithead. And you didn’t even ask it!”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine, princess. Out of our dear friends, who would you fuck, who would you marry, and who would you kick? Better?”

Louis contemplated his answer for a minute. “I’d marry Zayn since he’s my best friend and he’s easily the most beautiful person alive,” Harry made a noise of agreement. “And I’d fuck Liam because he’s fit. I think he’s packing and he’s strong enough to carry me around and stuff. And I’d kick Niall because he’s the one who locked us in here.”

Harry’s face hardened. “Liam? Really? What makes you think his dick is big? Have you _seen_ it?” His eyes were disgusted and offended like he had been when Aiden asked Louis out. Louis rolled his eyes. 

“You can’t judge me, asshole. And you already asked your question, so now it’s my turn. Shut up. Out of all the people you’ve kissed, who is the worst kisser?”

“Kendall,” Harry said it quickly. He physically shuddered. “It was all bad and never again.” He covered his face with his big hands in shame.

That was interesting to Louis. Kendall was Harry’s… She was a frequent person in his bedroom. They’d spent so much time together that everyone thought they were dating. Louis hated Kendall. She hated him right back. With all of Harry’s attention on her, Louis’ time freed up substantially since they didn’t see each other as much, which meant fewer arguments. Louis had met Aiden and Louis thought he was in love. Harry hated Aiden and couldn’t have Louis happy, so he called things off with Kendall to pester Louis again. And then Aiden stood him up and the rest is history.

Louis laughed, “Wait really? Wasn’t she like, I don’t know, your girlfriend?”

“You already asked your question, princess,” He parroted in a high pitched voice. “What was up with you and Andrew?”

Louis’ brow furrowed and Harry was avoiding eye contact. “You mean Aiden? Er, nothing. I mean, well, stuff, but like it doesn’t matter now. He stood me up before we could even become boyfriends so there’s that.” 

“But you guys fucked?” Harry was very interested in his rings and Louis was very interested in his scuffed shoes. 

“Not your turn, stupid,” Louis said again. He didn’t want to answer that question anyways. 

“Right. Okay, shoot.”

“What’s the wildest thing you’ve done at a party?” Harry went to the same parties Louis went to, but he always hung out with his hockey boys and Louis with the soccer boys. Even with the distance between them at parties, Louis had found out about every dumb thing Harry did, so his question wasn’t about those parties. It was about the college parties he went to with Nick, the older prick with an obnoxious laugh.

Harry snorted. “I don’t even think I can answer that. I’m a bumbling idiot when I’m drunk. But I remember once I walked in on a threesome, but I was drunk-sad about something so I didn’t care. I wanted a place to sit and cry and they were in the only open private room in the frat house, so I sat on the floor next to the bed. And I cried, embarrassingly so, while two chicks and a dude were going at it. They didn’t care either so I sat and cried about whatever I did, while they moaned and gave me shoulder pats when they could and the girls even cuddled me once they finished.”

Harry remembers why he was sad. It wasn’t because of Aiden and Louis. He hated them, so there’s no fucking way in hell he’d be sad about two people he hated flirting with each other when he was drunk. 

Louis laughed, with crinkles in his eyes and a hand on his tummy and his head was thrown back. He knew Harry was an emotional drunk, but this was a whole other level of ridiculous. “Are you serious? I’m sorry, I just,” He laughed again, picturing a crying Harry sitting next to sex in action. 

“Whatever. It’s my turn. So how many times did you guys fuck?”

Louis’ laughter died down and he wiped a tear away. “What?” 

Harry looked him in the eye and nodded his head with a cocky attitude. “That was my question.” He was being snappy and rude. 

Louis’ brows furrowed. “Er, three times maybe?” Harry moved with his hand to get Louis to elaborate more. “You never asked about how!” 

“Don’t be a prude. I gave you pretty solid details on my answers even when you didn’t ask for it. I need to know if he was any good, the boys tease him about it.” 

Right. Aiden was on the hockey team too and he was friends with all of Harry’s friends, but they never became friends. They had a weird relationship. Everyone at school said it's because they were the only freshmen to make it varsity first year, so they had a rivalry. 

“Fine. The first time at the drive-in, his car. The second time was at my house. The third time was after our practices were over, in the locker room. He was good,” Louis’ sure his face was bright red. He just talked about the times he’d had sex, with Harry Styles of all people. 

Harry didn’t do much but stare at his hands again. Louis couldn’t look in his direction. He felt weird. He felt guilty almost. His stomach was in knots. Would Harry think he’s easy for giving it up to someone who had essentially fucked and dumped him?

It was quiet for a moment and Louis couldn’t stand that, so he cleared his throat. “What’s your type?”

“Don’t have a type physically other than a big butt. And in height. I couldn’t date anyone taller than me. I guess just someone who makes me laugh and puts up with me honestly. Like, they understand me and they have hearts of gold, even though they like to pretend they don't because they're humble. And like someone supportive,” His face was too red for someone who had just rambled about their type. “What about you?”

“Well, the same, honestly. But I’m into guys who are stronger than me, bigger too. I like that. I like guys who I can tease and they can tease me back as well. A guy who is sappy and romantic, but also a bit snippy. He has to be nice, you know, and can put me in my place sometimes. And supportive and funny and sweet.” It was Louis’ turn to blush. Why was this so awkward all of a sudden? Jesus, they’d spent a year inside Doom already. 

Louis felt his heart rate pick up. He liked guys who were taller and stronger than him, who could make him laugh, who were sappy puppies and teased him and Holy. Fucking. Shit. He stared at the floor with wide eyes. Was he going into cardiac arrest? He tried his hardest to picture the perfect guy, mentally searched through his mind database of Lanesboro boys and not one of them made his stomach tingle. Aiden hadn’t ever made his stomach tingle. He gave Louis attention and sex and he was nice. He just wasn’t him. 

Holy shit. He pictured Liam and Zayn and Niall and he didn’t feel anything. He even pictured Harrison Ford and while his wank bank tingled, it wasn’t out of love. He pictured everyone he could think of and his mind kept shooting blanks. He wanted to scream. There’s no fucking way that he had been in love with Harry Styles for thirteen years. Impossible. But he felt the butterflies in his stomach, the nerves that were distracted by petty insults and snarky comments. He had been completely misreading the butterflies in his stomach. 

Harry had always been there. He hated Kendall and Nick and Alexa and Ben and Lisa and Steve and Taylor and Caroline because they were all Harry’s flings. He was jealous. He knew that Aiden wasn’t what he wanted, but he could make Harry jealous and that’s why Louis thought he was in love with him because he got Harry’s attention back on him. Harry said stupid things, but he also did nice things. He made Louis a card when he was sick, even though the card wasn’t worded the nicest way, it was the thought. And they were six. 

When Louis had cried at that sleepover, Harry canceled the game and made a buddy system. He made the boys' lunches sometimes and he’d always go out of his way to make Louis a peanut butter sandwich because he knew that Louis didn’t care for meat. He keeps a stash of Louis’ favorite tea brand at his house for the nights that they all crash at his place. In middle school, when Louis’ dad left, Harry made him a basket of his favorite snacks and baseball cards and other goodies and a sweet card of support and Louis knows it was Harry even when the boy had never fessed up to it. 

Harry gives him his apples at lunch, he ties his shoes, gives him piggyback rides, bought his family Christmas gifts (Louis’ always came with a little card that had some stupid comment on it), he left any notes Louis missed on his doorstep before running off so no one catches him. He didn’t let anyone tease Louis, even the boys on the hockey team. 

Harry Styles said some pretty mean things, but he was the sweetest guy Louis ever met and Louis was in love with him. 

Louis went out of his way for Harry all the time, too. He walks their dog on Saturdays, gives him his oranges at lunch, gave him the answers to their French tests. Harry was always sick with the flu, so Louis would leave a pack of tissues on his desk when it was flu season. He bought Harry cookies that were packaged with puns because Harry loves puns, and he’d slip them in his hockey bag while they were on the field and the soccer team was done with their practice. If Harry was sore from workouts, Louis would get him warm towels from the nurse when he passed by the office and drop them off in his locker during passing period. 

Louis grew his hair out when Harry did because Harry was insecure about it at first. He bought him a pack of headbands when Harry complained about stray hairs falling in his face during games. He knew Harry had a vinyl collection, so he made Jay drop off all the old records they had but never played. They argued and bickered constantly, but Louis was just doing it because he was scared and didn’t know how to show his love for the incredibly infuriating boy.

Louis was in love with Harry Styles. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. 

“Uh, cool, cool. You won’t have trouble finding guys who are bigger than you,” Harry said, but the teasing was more forced when it came out tensely from his mouth. He was being weird. Did he know? Shit, was Louis’ answer that obvious?

Louis kicked his side as if he could kick away his feelings. “What superpower would you have?”

Harry let out a breath, settling his tense body against the wall. “Telepathy, obviously.” He didn’t elaborate but was thinking about his next question. “Why do you hate me? I mean, I know that we have just never gotten along, but what about me specifically sets you off?”

Fucking shit. Was Harry sure that he didn’t already have telepathy?

It was two questions that he asked, but all the cattiness Louis usually had in him was gone. Louis hummed and mulled over what to say next. He had to chose his words carefully. “Nothing. I just like to tease you I guess. You’re the only who's ever got my humor and never been deeply offended by what I say. You can tease me back and you don’t give in easily. I don’t hate you. Not at all.”

They both cleared their throats and the air felt warmer. “Cool, yeah. Ditto.” Harry didn’t hate him!

“Okay, so if you don’t hate me, how do you feel about me?” Louis had blurted out the question bravely without even thinking. Harry didn’t say anything and Louis panicked. “Not like, well you know, just, if you don’t hate me, then—“

“I-I don’t hate you. I remember when we first met, I was a kid and I like, I don’t know, had a crush on you. I guess. And so I just started being mean to you, which doesn’t make any sense, but crushes were too overwhelming for me at that age I guess. And like, you were mean right back, so it just became this thing, right? And I always felt nervous around you, but instead of saying ‘You’re cute,’ it came out as me making fun of your missing tooth or breaking your crayons. In middle school, I wanted to ask you to that stupid dance, but I didn’t know how, so I just sort of told everyone that you spit because of that lisp you had to stop anyone else from asking you out. And when we fought, I never really wanted to hit you, so I’d just pin you down. 

“Freshmen year, when you started volunteering at the animal shelter, I made Niall come with me so I could help you with animals. And the boys always teased me because they said I drooled over you holding the baby animals, yeah, but it was true. I only adopted that dog because of you. You always sit at the front of the class because sometimes you forget your glasses at home and can’t see the board, so I uh, always request to sit in the front too. The reason why Niall always gives you the best gifts is that like, I buy what I know you want, and wrap it and stuff and put his name on it. I like, benched Aiden once he started talking to you and stuff and we fought a couple of times in the locker room, but yeah. I just, sort of, had a crush on you, I guess. Have a crush on you, I mean.”

Harry’s cheeks were pink and his lip was between his teeth and finished off his rant rather lamely. His green eyes darted from behind Louis, to the floor, to his hands, and then to Louis’ own blue eyes. Louis’ cheeks were pink, too, and his heart had to be loud enough for Harry to hear. It was a lot to process.

He must have been quiet for too long because Harry spoke up. “I’m sorry about everything. I’ve been a dick because I was scared of like everything, I guess, and rejection. I didn’t want to embarrass myself, even though I suppose I just did, and I get that you don’t feel the same way and that’s okay. I’m sorry for all the stuff I’ve said and you—“

Louis laughed and it did nothing to calm the nervous wreck of a boy beside him. “Harry, oh my God, shut up! We’re such dorks.” 

He couldn’t stop laughing, with his face burning and his eyes squeezed shut. He felt insanely overwhelmed with everything that has run around in his head the past ten minutes and everything that just came out of Harry’s mouth. He was so overwhelmed he was losing his mind and he felt like his chest was going to explode and he felt like crying along with his burst of uncontrollable giggles.

He must’ve looked insane to Harry because when he opened his eyes, the other boy was staring at him with the most horrified expression on his face. 

“Er, I don’t know what’s happening?” His face wasn’t red anymore, he was a pale color and his eyes were watery. Jesus, this wasn’t real. 

“Is that your question then? Cause it’s your turn. Alright. Well, ditto, I guess. No, honestly, ditto. Everything you just said is how I feel about you, too, and I’m just overwhelmed with how dumb I’ve been for so long, so I started laughing. It’s embarrassing because I’m so gone for you. I matched my Homecoming tux to yours without thinking about it. And I do so many things for you but I brush it off by calling you a stupid dick, even though I don’t mean it. Like, I’ve always known, I think, but I’ve been too scared also. I guess. I like you too,” Louis just about mumbled everything out, making circles on the wall with his shoe. 

It was Harry's turn to laugh. “Oh god, we are idiots.” They both giggled, with their cheeks covered in a shy blush. They were sneaking glances at each other and this shift in attitude between them was very, very different. It was nice and it made the usual butterflies in Louis’ tummy stronger. 

“Hey, it’s my turn,” Louis spoke up, nudging Harry with a lip between his teeth, blue eyes twinkling right back into the green ones. “Can I kiss you? If you want to, I mean. I’m not pressuring you or anything and you can totally say no—“

He was rambling, the confidence he had at the start of the sentence was gone by the end of it and he was a stuttering mess. He could honestly feel his lisp come back and he didn’t spend all of grade school and middle school getting rid of it for it to come back. 

Harry nudged him out of his nerves, a gentle smile on his face. “Yeah, you can kiss me.”

He was considerably closer than he was before and now that Louis was looking at him, he looked fucking beautiful. Harry had always been attractive. His eyes were emerald gems and his dimples were adorable and his acne was endearing and his front teeth poked through his lips and his lips were the prettiest shade of red. His hair was swept out of his face and his cheeks were pink and he looked so fucking amazing. He’d always been amazing and wonderful and Louis had always known but he was too scared to say it.

He wasn’t scared anymore so he said it. “You’re really beautiful.”

And when Harry gave him the sweetest, gentlest, cheekiest grin in return, it was all worth it. Harry was slowly leaning in, his big hand came up to cradle Louis’ jaw and his fingers stretched over his cheek and under his ear and Harry’s palm rested under his chin and he was being held like he was something fragile and precious. Harry’s movements were slow and careful, and Louis’ hand grabbed at the sleeve of Harry’s varsity jacket, squeezing it tightly. 

He felt himself gulp as Harry’s eyes were low, staring at Louis’ lips, and their noses were so close that they brushed each other. Harry didn’t move any closer, kept his eyes half shut and his body positioned into Louis’ own. It wasn’t close enough to Louis. 

“Please,” He heard himself whisper and he doesn’t know who rushed forward first, but he does know that when their lips finally crashed together, Louis felt like his heart finally exploded. It was a simple, firm press of their lips together, Louis’ top lip between Harry’s, and Harry’s bottom lip between Louis’. It was nothing heated, just a sweet touch, but even the small contact made Louis feel like he was melting. 

They parted and Harry took charge immediately, diving back in for another press of their lips. He moved their lips together gently, testing the waters, and Louis followed his lead easily. The first touch of their tongues was the fire that Louis had felt all these years. It wasn’t anything close to hate. It was a burning desire and Louis had finally caught fire. Harry’s tongue slid inside Louis’ own, exploring it with the intent. They’d always known each other, but never like this before. 

Louis’ skin was hot and he branded the feel of Harry into his brain. He focused on their mouths moving against one another, the newfound urgency in the kiss, the sound of their rapid breathing and Louis’ pulse in his ears. He focused on the feel of Harry’s big hands on his neck and hip, on the feel of his hand clutching the soft sleeve and the other wrapped halfway around Harry’s wrist. He’d never felt more loved in his entire life. He could feel the weight of their emotions exchanged through their tongues, the apologies, and the butterflies. 

They parted with quiet gasps for air, slick lips and shinier eyes. Louis’ pulse was thrumming under Harry’s fingertips and Harry’s own was dancing under Louis’. They stared at each other with giddy smiles and heart eyes. Louis felt like a schoolgirl. 

“That was—“ 

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. They sounded out of breath but happy. Louis couldn’t stop his bashful giggle. They didn’t move even though Louis’ arm was beginning to feel heavy. He ran his finger up and down the inside of Harry’s wrist, tapping against the touch of leather, and that seemed to snap Harry out of their bubble. He pushed his sleeve up, glancing at his watch, but interlocking his fingers with Louis’. “It’s almost two in the morning. We need to get out of here.”

He pulled Louis up easily enough and that made Louis feel some type of way. He led the shorter boy by tugging on their linked hands, leading them out of the break room. He seemed to have a plan and the lights of all the games were still blinking brightly at them. 

Louis didn't say much and he realized, as he was tugged past the basketball hoops, that it was because he's never seriously questioned Harry. He just trusts him, even when they were dicks to each other.

“The guys’ bathrooms have windows and I think we can manage to open them up,” He threw the words over his shoulder, back at Louis. Louis caught them, albeit confusedly, and just let the other boy take charge. He seemed to be confident.

He pushed open the swinging door, leaving it open for Louis like a gentleman. It was ridiculous how something simple like that made his heart swoon.

“The guys’ bathrooms have windows and I think we can manage to open them up,” He threw the words over his shoulder, back at Louis. Louis caught them, albeit confusedly, and just let the other boy take charge. He seemed to be confident.

He pushed open the swinging door, leaving it open for Louis like a gentleman. It was ridiculous how something simple like that made his heart swoon. The bathroom was decently clean, the white tiles and the fluorescent lights were blinding. There was a teal undertone in the room and Louis had never been in here before. Inside each stall, above the toilets, was a narrow rectangular panel that gave a glimpse of the darkness outside. 

“Why the fuck didn’t you mention this earlier?” Louis couldn’t help but say, watching Harry’s back pull him into a stall. The other boy was frantically messing with latches and locks and he was too much of a klutz to know what he was doing. “Move over, dummy.”

Louis, on the other hand, spent most of his time breaking into things and then breaking the other things. It wasn’t his first rode. Harry pushed his body against the tiny stall door as best as he could, shrinking his broad body tight enough for Louis to squeeze by. He wordlessly helped the other boy step onto the toilet seat, placing a big hand on Louis’ hip to keep his balance. It made Louis feel warm, but he focused on inspecting the lock. 

“I wanted to play the games a bit. ’S the only time we’ll ever get it completely to ourselves, might as well take advantage. And then you started distracting me so it slipped my mind. Sorry,” Harry said from behind Louis, sounding completely unapologetic. The lock wasn’t even screwed on right, it was only a matter of flipping the latches. Jesus, Harry wasn’t bright under pressure at all. It was so fucking endearing. 

Louis only sighed in response, still bent over the latches. He got them up with a few clicks, using all his strength to push the window open. The air hit him like Harry’s kiss. It was amazing and warm and it sent goosebumps down his arms. He got down from the seat, giving Harry a satisfied smile, and finding Harry smiling down at him with a dimpled grin. 

“Lou, you’re a fucking genius! We get to go home!” Harry’s cute bunny teeth were out and Louis couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. The younger boy pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, bumping into the stall walls a bit, and lifting him off his feet for a good few seconds. They both became aware of the small area they were in and how much closer it brought them together. 

He was glad to find Harry already staring at his mouth, green eyes darkening and his lips shiny with spit. Louis wanted everything and anything Harry was willing to offer. It went without saying that they needed to kiss and Louis’ hands came up to grab at Harry’s hair and jaw, loving the feel of the other boy’s hands at the small of his back. He loved the warmth and the safety and everything about the other boy’s lips, the fresh air of freedom came nowhere near Harry’s kisses. 

There was no clear point of how long they’d stood there, pressed against bathroom walls and lips interlocked, before finally parting. 

“I’m gonna go first, so I can catch you on the other side,” Harry said. It was adorable how caring he was and how much better this felt than calling Harry dumb names. They should’ve made out and revealed their feelings ages ago. Louis couldn’t even be offended by the sentence and gave a happy nod back. 

Harry smiled and parted with one last peck before climbing onto the seat and pushing his body up through the window. He went head first, which wasn’t a smart idea, to begin with, but Louis didn’t have the heart to tell him any different. He wiggled through the clear window space and his body was halfway there when all his weight crashed down face first. Harry fell on the other side with a groan and bushes were rustled with the weight of him. 

“Harry are you okay?” Louis quickly went to peek over the window, his head sticking out, and he saw Harry standing from a bed in the bushes. He had a leaf in his hair and a scratch from a twig on his neck, but he brushed himself with ease. The giggle that escaped Louis’ mouth shocked him and he covered his mouth as soon as he did it. “I’m so sorry,” He apologized through his fingers. 

Harry only shrugged it off with a smile. “Whatever. Got ya to smile. Now hurry up,” He waved him over with his big hands, holding them out to catch the other boy. God, how hadn’t Louis realized how perfect this boy was earlier? 

Louis pushed his body high enough to sit on the sill before putting his legs through and sliding down the window with finesse. Harry’s hands still came up to steady him anyways once he landed the jump on his feet. It felt so weird being outside after having been locked up for hours. It felt weird leaving Doom with Harry’s hands interlocked with his and said boy pecking his hair. It felt weird giving the boy his kiss on the cheek and thanking him for his help. 

It was weird, but welcomed, and never in a million years did Louis think he would ever be doing this. 

But in a way, it made so much sense. It felt right, for the first time since they’ve met when everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. It had always been Harry, even when Harry threw gum in Louis’ hair. It had always been Harry because Louis had just planned on following Harry wherever, even if he said his excuse was to make him miserable. It had always been Harry, who was slung a heavy arm over Louis’ shoulder and pressed his body into his side.

They walked away from their escape hole, away from Doom, away from the way things were before, and to Harry’s lone car in the parking lot. 

He’d secretly always been in love with it and he had only been in the car twice before, but that was with all the other boys squeezed into it, too. And that was before Harry had pressed him against the passenger door with fervent desperation. They were breathing into each other’s mouths, letting their hands roam purposely, and Louis loved the press of the metal behind his back, the way he was so small in the cage of Harry’s arms. 

This kiss wasn’t sweet at all, it was fiery and full of want. It was dirty, out in the open and slick tongues prodding their mouths. It was the fire that Harry brought with him every time he touched Louis and Louis was dancing in it. The first bump of their hips jolted Louis’ eyes open, startling a tiny whine from him that Harry drank up immediately. 

Harry pulled away first, keeping his hands propped against Louis’ shoulders, pushing him into the car a bit, and giving himself a few inches of space. They were panting and Louis watched the rise and fall of Harry’s chest with a dry throat. 

“Come to my house,” Harry blurted, eyes still dark before immediately widening. His face flushed and his hands dropped, one rising to bite at his finger and the other shaking his hair. Louis could see the nerves and he was in love. Gross. “I-I mean, like, only if you want to, of course. I don’t want to pressure you or anything, but like, I want to spend the night with you. Not like that! My parents are home, but we could if you wanted. I mean, we’re only going to go to sleep and we don’t even have to share a bed! I just, like, I don’t think I want to sleep alone anymore.”

He whispered it like it was a confession, shy and swinging his hands like he didn’t know what to do with them. “Please?”

And who was Louis to ever deny Harry anything? He always gave Harry what he wanted, even before he realized his undying love for the hockey player. “My house is empty, let’s go to mine.” Louis offered with a raise of a shoulder and a grin to match Harry’s own. They gave each other quick pecks before Harry unlocked his car, opening the door for Louis. Louis watched him through the windshield in disbelief as he jogged around the front. 

Did Harry even exist? He’s officially ruined all men for Louis. 

Harry hoped into the backseat and jammed the keys into the ignition, watching Louis with hearts in his eyes as the boy looked around the car. “You’re so taking me everywhere in this thing. I mean, shit, I don’t know anything about cars, but this is nice.”

The inside was a nice leather and it was tidy and spacey and just nice. Louis didn’t know how to describe cars, but it definitely wasn’t Liam’s mom’s station wagon or Zayn’s piece of shit. 

“Already planned on it, baby,” He said, flipping the visor and grabbing Louis’ hand. It felt so good to hear Louis call him pet names without it being condescending. He wanted to hear him call him all kinds of sweet things forever. 

It didn’t shock Louis in the slightest at how fast he was moving in the relationship. It made sense to him. 

Harry drove them out of the parking lot and he looked so good driving. He had a hand on the steering wheel, his arm straight and stiff ahead of him, and the other tracing patterns into Louis’ skin. It was so hot and his face was full of concentration as he turned the wheel around. It was hot that Harry was driving and he was good at it and he has his license. He studied for the test and passed it and he knew how to operate a car and it was so weirdly hot to him. It was turning him on and Louis guessed that anything would turn him on because of his thirteen plus years of pent up sexual frustration. 

The roads were empty and Harry had a tape in the player, but Louis only paid attention to the younger boy out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to wear his varsity jacket. He wanted to wear it at games and school and on dates and everywhere. He wanted to feel Harry’s expensive rings—his class ring and the rose ring and the H ring and the peace ring—dig into his skin. 

Louis needed to stop thinking about things before he popped a boner in Harry’s fucking car. 

Harry knew the route to Louis’ house, Lanesboro was tiny. It was only a twenty-minute drive, which was pretty short for their town. It was dark outside, but there was a deep purple glow because of the moon’s reflection. The trees were starting to brown and yellow and the grass was still green at night. The lights were off in every store and home they passed by except for the flickering orange street posts. They’d always flickered, even when the boys would play baseball on the street during the summers in elementary school. Lanesboro was dead but Louis had never felt more alive. 

He drummed his fingers against Harry’s thumb, tracing the details of the ring. He watched as Harry yawned, taking a hand off the steering wheel for a moment before he blinked himself back to concentration. He could spend forever watching Harry and maybe it would make up for all the years they’d lost. 

It was kind of funny to think about; that they’d both been dumb idiots who bullied each other because they didn’t know how to deal with emotions. Louis thought it suited them. They were both stubborn dickheads and they just fit together. Now that Louis had been thrown a bone, he realizes that it's Harry and it’s always been him. 

He watched Harry’s jaw tick and he eyed the drag of Harry’s pink tongue swipe across his bottom lip. He gulped when he felt Harry bring their joined hands up higher on Louis’ thigh, inching closer to the center of his lap, right where Louis wanted their hands to be. The air turned humid and Louis could feel his breaths come a bit shorter, eyeing Harry’s movements as the other boy released his hand. He kept his hand on the upper part of his thigh, softly squeezing and letting his hands dip into the warmth between Louis’ legs. It wasn’t close enough.

Harry’s long pinky finger came out of the cave between Louis’ thighs before dipping right back into them. He was running it up and down, up and down, and it was just a simple touch, but Louis was fucking getting hard. Louis let himself relax, shifting slightly in a poorly disguised attempt to bump Harry’s hand against the spot he wanted it against.

The boy driving pulled away, letting his hand rest on the steering wheel like the other one. They were clenched tightly and his rings were gorgeous.

Harry pulled into Louis’ driveway, letting go of Louis’ hand to place it on the back of his seat. He was going to reverse. 

“Why are you reversing?”

Harry shot him a confused look as if it was an obvious answer. “Uh because it’s rude to park in Jay’s spot. It’s not my house. I’ve got to impress her, you know. Trying to woo her son and all.” His body was turned towards Louis, but his hands were still on the wheel. His response was so damn cheesy, but dammit, did it make Louis’ heart soar. Yes, it fucking did. 

“Shut up,” Louis scowled, for once with no bite. “She’d be impressed if you sat in silence and breathed for five hours. She’s obsessed with you and she doesn’t care where you park your car.”

Harry ignored him, but he looked a little pleased. He fucking knew how much Jay loved him and how much they got along. He knew that he’d won her over in first grade when he got her flowers for some sort of Hallmark holiday. Kiss-ass. He backed up anyways, turning his body to watch behind him, and parked the car in front of their yard. 

“There,” Harry said, dimples on display. Louis probably had a grumpy face on—because he wanted to get inside and lay with Harry already—but Harry gave him a sweet peck, so maybe it was fine that Harry cared so much about gaining Jay’s approval. 

Louis got himself out of the car before the taller boy could dash out and open the door for him. But Harry still managed to pull him out of the car and shut the door after him. They were sharing sweet smiles in nothing but silence and the moonlight and Louis was already used to how much his heart raced around Harry, only now he could kiss him. So he did, along one followed by a short one and they held each other for too long. They were giddy with giggles and when Louis dragged the taller boy up the empty driveway, Harry tugged his hand away. 

He looked to see what the problem was and found Harry stumbling from his neighbor’s bushes. He had a tiny bundle of flowers and he hurried back to his spot in front of Louis. He looked pleased with himself when he shoved his hand forward, showing off the made-up bouquet of roses and daisies, and Louis knew his own face was pleased as well. 

The heat on his face was also something he was accustomed to and he sighed as he took the flowers. “Mrs. Jones won’t be too happy tomorrow when she notices her garden has been rummaged with.” Harry was so damn sweet, Louis wasn’t sure if he could take a whole future with him and his gestures. 

He could and he would. 

Harry’s dimple appeared and his shoulder came up. “But they’d look so cute in your hair!”

Louis rolled his eyes with nothing but fondness, bringing a flower up to Harry’s own hair. “Yeah, well I think they’re better off in your hair.” He tucked in the small daisy behind a curl, feeling his heart ooze affection. The other boy tucked a flower in Louis’ hair and they just stared at each other with adoration shining in their eyes. 

God, the other boys were going to hate them even more now. 

He led the way, for once, up the path to his house and fumbled with the jumble of keys in his pocket. Zayn’s house key, Niall’s house key, Liam’s house key, Harry’s house key, the library’s key, Coach T’s office key, Principal Hannon’s key, and well all of Lanesboro really, was held in the pocket of Louis’ hands. They came in handy, but not when he was looking for his single house key. He had used nail polish to swipe a messy stripe across the back of the key so it’d be easier to find, but it didn’t mean shit among the pile of keys. 

Harry wasn’t impatient and he hummed a tune to pass the time. 

“Where are the girls?”

Louis managed to shove the right key in and jiggle the doorknob until it was opened. The stupid door was stubborn and didn’t open unless shoved at roughly. Maybe Harry or Liam could fix that. “Young Charlotte has snuck off with that stupid boy again. Charlotte the Harlot, it’s what the girls call her. The twins slept over Katie’s house. The other twins are with grandma because mom wouldn’t let me watch them. Something about me needing my sleep for school or something.”

They shot each other lazy smirks and went into the house. Louis didn’t bother turning the lights on, just went straight up the stairs to his room and Harry followed him wordlessly. 

Louis felt himself get nervous with each step. In all honesty, Louis wanted to have sex with Harry. He was a teenage boy, for Christ’s sake. He was attracted to Harry, obviously. It’s been a while since Louis’ had any sort of action and the action that he had got was nowhere near this level. Louis was awkward and tense and he enjoyed it, but Aiden wasn’t Harry. Harry was bloody gorgeous and beautiful and way more experienced and he was just Harry. Louis didn’t want Harry to think he was lame and laugh or leave him or something. 

They reached Louis’ room and Harry immediately flopped himself onto the bed. He made himself comfortable, tossing a shirt off and his jeans and shoes and his body were great. Nice. Cool. Louis was in deep shit.

He stayed by the door, carefully kicking his shoes off and flicking the light on. He went to his closet to grab a clean sleep shirt and shorts and no matter how much he tried to stall, he was going to have to face the other boy. He just hoped he didn’t pop a boner in front of him. He undressed hesitantly, daring a glance at the boy who had made himself at home. Harry was already staring at him with a blush on his face and a lip between his teeth. 

Louis froze, his eyes widening a bit. “Er, what.” It wasn’t so much a question as it was just something to break the tense silence. His gulp was loud and thick enough to also break the tension and Louis was reminded of the fact that they were both in tight black boxer briefs. Cool, cool, good. 

Harry shifted on the bed, going from resting back on his elbows to sitting straight up, leaned towards Louis. Louis didn’t even realize his body had moved slightly closer to the other boy until he could feel Harry’s breath against his cheek. 

“Louis, um, do you. Like. Maybe want to, I don’t want to pressure you or anything! But, I want to, you know, if you want to,” Harry was a bright red and his eyes were darting around the room frantically. His nervous energy had made Louis relax a tiny bit. 

Louis giggled, despite his face feeling just as red as Harry’s. “Shut up and kiss me, you fool.” He barely finished his sentence before their lips crashed together again, slotted against each other and careful hands cradling each other. 

Kissing Harry was easy and Louis was an idiot for ever feeling nervous about this. They kissed just as wonderfully as they had before, tongues sliding against each other, tracing teeth and wrapping around each other. Their skin was hot and they let their hands explore each other’s upper bodies shyly. Harry’s shoulder and chest were firm and smooth. Louis could feel the muscles shift under his fingertips as Harry’s hands wandered around Louis’ hips. 

The sweet kiss became sloppy fairly quickly. It was more spit and bumping of their noses, teeth clanking together and hands brushing against 

Hot, everything felt hot, even with the lack of clothing. Harry moved their mouths so he could latch onto Louis’ neck, the touch of his soft lips gave Louis goosebumps. His curls tickled Louis’ skin and the feeling of Harry’s light pants gave Louis shivers. Harry closed his mouth around the spot where Louis’ neck met his shoulder and sucked on the skin roughly. His tongue traced patterns onto Louis’ neck and his neck felt tender already. It was good, the contrast of the sharp bite of his teeth and the soft slide of his tongue, and Louis couldn’t stop the small pleased noises from his mouth. 

It wasn’t enough and Louis needed to be closer. The throb in his lower body was loud and hot and his small noises turned into whines of greed. He wanted more.  
“Come on, Haz, I want more,” Louis whispered. Harry didn’t hear him, still sucking on spots on the boy’s neck. 

Louis brought his body onto Harry’s a bit roughly, settling himself onto the other boy’s lap as he rocked his body forward. Harry’s mouth went slack against Louis’ neck and he let out a deep groan. The friction of their cocks moving together through the tight material of their boxers felt amazing. His eyes shut as he moved his body again, firmer this time, and again and again until all he could focus on was grinding against Harry. Harry felt firm and warm, big and stiff against his thigh. Harry’s hands gripped Louis’ hips tightly, guiding the movement of Louis’ hips tightly. 

Harry eyed Louis and he looked so good above him. Louis was whining softly, always soft noises from him, reaching between them to grab at Harry’s cock. It was hotter in his hand and Harry bucked into it with a surprised groan and kick out. 

“Oh fuck,” Harry swore, letting his head knock against the headboard. Louis felt his heart stutter at how hot everything was. He moved his body off the boy and shuffled lower onto the bed, eyeing the boy’s cock through his briefs. Harry brought himself onto his elbows again, watching in anticipation as Louis let his small hand rub over him. Harry’s eyes fluttered closed and he let out a noise that went straight to Louis’ cock. 

Louis let his hand go up and down over the material before finally letting his hand dip inside. He pulled down the boxers and watched with a lip between his teeth as Harry’s length sprang out. He was big and hot and Louis watched in amazement as Harry reacted to his hand wrapping around it. He was groaning louder with his head back and his cheeks flushed, his chest heaved in heavy breaths. Louis squeezed gently, rubbing his thumb along the underside, before bringing it up. 

“Shit, Louis, that feels great, babe,” Harry babbled, his mouth hung open and his eyelids half-closed. He eyed Louis in awe as the boy leaned in, letting his tongue flick the tip of his cock, tasting the spurt of precum. The small words of encouragement spurred him on and he let Harry into his mouth as deep as he could go. He let his tongue move against it, tipping it and writing nonsense onto the warm skin. He let his hand slide against the part he couldn’t reach, twisting and turning and sucking with determination. 

The taller boy was loud and his groans were getting deeper and deeper. His body writhed against the sheets and his mouth moved without his will. “Lou, Lou, Lou, Lou, Lou, fuck,” He was singing the words and it made Louis rock his hips against his bed. He wanted to do this forever, suck Harry’s dick and have the boy in such a high state of pleasure. 

He pulled off with spit connecting his mouth with Harry’s cock and he felt breathless. He let his hand drop and he sat up, wiping the saliva from his chin with a satisfied smile. His hair was in his face and his cock was still trapped underneath his briefs, but watching Harry catch his breath and stare at him in awe was worth the discomforting throb. 

“Louis, you’re fucking amazing at that,” Harry gasped, pulling the boy closer and licking at his neck. He let his hands drop to Louis’ bum, squeezing and pinching. 

“Mm, yeah. Sorry, stopped because I,” Louis couldn’t concentrate with Harry’s hands on his skin, pulling and holding. His hands had a strong grip on his ass and he felt around the skin with a firmness that had Louis’ eyes crossing. “I wanted to, I wanted you to.” 

It was all he could say, but Harry got the hint with a smirk. “Of course, Lou, come on.” He tapped his fingers against his ass again, before shifting the boy off of him and laying him down on the bed. He looked beautiful underneath Harry, with his collarbones on display and his fragile, tiny body surrounded by blue sheets. His eyes were dark, like Harry’s own, and his waist dipped in so perfectly. Harry let his tongue slide against his neck again, his new favorite spot, before diving into Louis’ collarbones and down his sternum. He traced circles around his tiny nipples before swooping to his tiny tummy and his belly button. 

It brought a gasp out of Louis and he giggled breathlessly, bucking his hips up and hiding his face. “Not getting any younger, Styles.”

Harry rolled his eyes, pecking his tummy before resting his head on it to stare up at the other boy. “What?”

Harry shrugged. “Wanna try something, baby. Get me the lube first.” 

Louis reached over to the bedside table, rummaging through it for a few seconds before retrieving a small package. It was a tiny blue cube of lube and Harry took it in his hands before motioning for Louis to turn over. Louis scoffed but did it anyway. “Confident in yourself, aren’t you?”

Harry smiled, pulling off the briefs and his cock throbbed at the sight of Louis’ bare skin. He was golden from the summer and smooth and plump and the dip of his waist was even more absence from behind. “Whatever do you mean, darling?” He asked as a distraction. He needed to focus on the task at hand before he came this second. 

“Who says I don’t want to top?” 

It was Harry’s turn to scoff. “Definitely not you,” He murmured back, guiding his cock in-between Louis’ asscheeks. He slid in and out of them, groaning at the warmth and the soft sounds from Louis. He couldn’t wait to be actually inside of the smaller boy. He drew back, laying between the open space of Louis’ legs and grabbing his cheeks to spread them. “It’s my turn to ask the question, remember?”

Louis tried to twist his body to look at Harry incredulously, but once he felt a cool, slick finger rub against his hole, he let his head drop to his arms. He moaned at the feeling of Harry’s index breaching his hole, sliding in gently in one swift movement. It wasn’t much of a stretch yet and it felt good. Harry wiggled his finger around, making small circular movements, and it was such a fucking teasing thing. It made Louis’ skin crawl with want and need. More. 

“Please Haz, another one,” Louis begged, pushing back into the single finger.

Harry tutted, pulling back and pushing Louis’ body back against the sheets. “You have to answer my question. What are your kinks?” He asked, placing a single kiss on Louis’ cheek, massaging it with a hand. The cool press of his rings made the hair on Louis’ skin rise and he tried to concentrate. 

“Are you serious?” He panted, glancing back. 

The boy’s face was covered by his curls, as he tilted his head down to place more kisses on Louis’ skin. Harry hummed, sending soothing vibrations on his bum and Louis tried to focus, really, but then Harry pressed in another finger and Louis let out a whine. 

“Shit, um. Spanking—yes fuck—hair pulling, uh,” Louis moaned as Harry curled his fingers slightly. It wasn’t enough, it was so close, and Harry was being the worst human being ever. “Roughness, er, choking, handcuffs—“

“Handcuffs?” Harry questioned, curling his fingers and letting a third one slip in. He loved watching the muscles in Louis’ back move as he writhed on the bed. “How did you find out about that one?”

Louis gasped at the stretch of the third finger, body twitching as Harry’s thick fingers nudged that spot inside of him and his other hand gripped the meat of his bum. “Z-Zayn. We got arrested for graffiti, Liam bailed us out. The cop was so hot,” He gasped out. 

Harry frowned. “Hey,” he said, removing his fingers and flipping Louis’ body back over. “I don’t want to hear about other guys while we fuck.”

Louis was breathless and floaty, but he smiled up at the boy anyways. “You asked. But I think it’s hotter how much bigger you are than me, how you could hold me up and hold me down and wrap your whole hand around my throat. I think about wearing your big hockey jersey and riding your dick sometimes.” He tried to sound as sexy as he could and it seemed to have worked because Harry’s face twisted in a moan. 

“Yeah? Once the season comes around, you can maybe try it sometime,” Harry said into Louis’ neck. He let his hands rest on the dip of his waist that he loved so much and they made out lazily for a minute, their cocks bumping against each other. 

Louis pushed him away with an urgency, demanding Harry hurry up and lube his cock up. He looked for a condom in the meantime and when he came back up, Harry was ripping open the pack of lube to squeeze out the rest of the liquid. His big hands worked too roughly and he tore the whole pack in half and lube spurted all over Louis’ tummy. Harry’s face turned beet red and his mouth hung open in surprise at the lube exploding everywhere.

Louis couldn’t stop the laughs from spilling out of his mouth. He was cackling when Harry only pouted adorably and he sat up to kiss Harry through his giggles. “I’m sorry Haz, it’s just,” He couldn’t finish his sentence without laughing again and Harry put the condom on with a pout. 

He shoved the boy back onto the bed and lubed up his dick and Louis’ hole silently. The other boy’s laughter still hadn’t died down, but once Harry pressed in, his laughs turned into a moan. Harry was big and the stretch was a bit much. His cock was hot inside of him, but he was only in discomfort for a minute before he started to rock back into it, carefully and testing the waters. It was amazing, even with just the small rocking. 

Harry’s groans sounded amazing and they turned Louis on endlessly. He brought a hand up to squeeze Harry’s bicep, a signal to move faster, and his eyes squeezed shut when Harry brought himself out before thrusting back inside. Both boys groaned at the feel of each other, of the heat and the tightness. Harry continued to thrust firmly, placing a hand on Louis’ shoulder to stop the boy from moving up on the bed because of the power in his thrusts.

“You’re so fucking hot, baby,” Harry growled, nipping at any skin he reached first. It was the skin of Louis’ jaw and the sting of his bite went straight to Louis' cock.

He angled his thrusts carefully, placing a hand on Louis’ thigh to bring it up against his hip. He was able to dive in that much closer, slamming against Louis with grunts and he put his other hand on the column of Louis’ neck. Louis’ eyes opened in surprise and his mouth dropped in a silent scream. He was in heaven and his eyes rolled to the back of his head at the gentle squeeze of Harry’s big hand around his neck. The thrusts jolted his body and Louis’ bed squeaked with the rocking. Their sounds mixed together and rang in Louis’ ears. 

“Haz, right there, right there,” Louis whined out, gripping the cool sheets in his hand. The coolness of his comforter pressed against his hot skin, but it didn’t change how hot he felt. He was on fire, a burning fire that was hotter than anything Louis’ ever felt. It was a fire lit by their bodies and love and Louis wanted to bask in it forever. 

The sound of skin slapping against skin and the firm squeeze of Harry’s hands made Louis feel floaty, the press of Harry’s cock against his prostate made Louis’ back arch. Everything was so much and amazing and Louis wanted to feel this way forever. His eyes made their way to Harry’s face and he watched as Harry’s teeth were gritted as he gave out grunts in time with his thrusts. He watched the beads of sweat form on his forehead and the curls sweep across it. He counted the two veins on Harry’s red neck and the shine of his pretty red lips. His abs were flexed as he moved his body in and out and his arms were flexed as they held him up. 

“Love the way you feel, Lou, love you so much. Never gonna let you go,” Harry was moaning out nonsense and a jumble of words, but Louis still felt his heart swoop at them. Harry was perfect.

“Uh, love you more,” Louis rasped out, feeling his breathing hitch at the tighter squeeze Harry gave to his response. 

Harry’s eyes drifted from the spot where they were connected to Louis’ own eyes and they stared at each other with hearts and lust in their eyes. It was hot, the eye contact that neither of them was breaking and he reached a hand down to rub at his cock, feeling himself so close to the edge. 

“So close, Haz, k-keep going,” Louis begged, tugging at his cock faster. He was so close and he could feel himself start to slip into that beautiful, welcoming state of euphoria. 

Harry’s thrusts picked up speed, getting more aggressive and pressing in deeper. “Come on baby, come for me,” Harry whispered into his neck, pecking and sucking and licking. He pulled back, putting his hand on Louis’ cock and moving his hand up and down on it. He squeezed it before rubbing at the tip and Louis threw his head back in pleasure. 

He looked at the other boy; he was the image of sex and beauty and Louis was in love, and that’s what made him cum. 

He saw blackness and stars and he felt his body convulse and tighten before he sank back into the sheets. He was out of breath and his heart drummed in his chest. He felt his once hot skin start to cool down and he watched as Harry pulled out, tossing the condom on before jacking himself on the mess Louis made on his stomach. Harry came with an open mouth groan, a drop to his head, and a fist tight around his red cock. He spurted his cum against the streaks of Louis’ cum, panting out tiredly. 

He slumped against the bed, half on top of Louis and half on the bed. His heart thrummed against Louis and it made Louis feel giddy. They caught their breaths silently, still stunned by the pleasure, and Harry’s arm slung across Louis’ chest. He was heavy and Louis was sure he was going to suffocate or something, but he felt at home. He didn’t want to separate their bodies, ever. 

It was quiet, except for the beat of their hearts and their heavy breathing. Louis’ light was flickering because the bulb was going to go out soon and Harry’s jacket was slung against the back of Louis’ desk chair. His shoes were at the door, right next to Louis’, and his shirt was on the floor next to his pants. There were traces of him around the room and Louis loved it. 

The sound of the front door being forced open snapped both boys out of their bubble of peace and they sprang up in bed. They looked at each other in horror and confusion. Louis’ mom wasn’t supposed to be home until the morning, so who the fuck was at the door? Was Louis being robbed? Neither boy moved as they strained their ears to try to listen. 

He felt himself relax as he heard his sister’s giggle. “Shh, my brother is asleep!” Lottie whisper shouted. Her voice was full of love and Louis wondered if he sounded anything like her when he talked to Harry. 

They couldn’t hear the response on the other side of the conversation, but Lottie giggled again. “No, it’s Louis’ boyfriend. Well, he says they hate each other, but.” Her voice wasn’t a whisper anymore and both boys looked to each other with soft smiles. 

“I’ve got to go, now go home,” Lottie whisper shouted again before shutting the door. She threw the house keys onto the tray by the door before marching upstairs. She passed Louis’ room, giving a gentle knock. “Lou, you up?”

Both boys cuddled into each other, holding their breaths until she went away. The light bulb flickered out and when they heard her door shut, they giggled softly into each other’s necks. 

“Even my sister knows, Styles,” Louis whispered, searching Harry’s green eyes. 

“Whatever, it’s not my fault you’re mean,” Harry teased, bringing an arm around Louis’ waist to pull him in. 

Louis gasped, smacking him against the chest softly. “You were mean first! I’m an angel,” Louis said matter of factly. 

Harry rolled his eyes, kissing Louis’ neck. It might be a thing for him, Louis’ neck. Neither of them thought it was a problem. “You’ll be an angel when you wear my jersey and ride my dick, Tomlinson.”

Louis laughed too loudly. Lottie was going to tell him off. “You’ve got to win a game first, Styles.”

There wasn’t much to say to that except for a good tickle, so they wrestled around trying to tickle each other, but it was mainly a game of trying to pepper kisses on the other boy’s skin. They were such dorks in love, Louis realized, and he couldn’t find any reason to complain about it. 

They stopped and cuddled at some point, tracing shapes with soft feather fingertips into their skin. They were facing each other, foreheads pressed together and legs tangled closed. Louis was never going to sleep alone, mom’s rules about boys in his room be damned. They whispered sweet nothings to each other, letting the warmth of their breaths mix together. Harry threw a sheet over them, so at least they were somewhat decent. 

“How are we supposed to get up in a few hours and go to school?” Louis asked through a yawn. He was too scared to glance at the clock. 

Harry shrugged as best he could. “We could always skip, I’ve got a friend who’s an assistant in the attendance office. They’d mark us if I asked.”

Louis considered it for a moment. “My mom. And tryouts are happening, can’t miss those.” He felt his eyelids get heavier with each slow, long blink. Harry’s voice was deeper and slower and they were dozing off without even realizing it. 

“I promise to have you back by tryouts. And we’ll sneak off to mine,” He whispered, the tickle of Louis’ eyelashes brushing him to sleep. 

Louis hummed his agreement, his breath coming in slow puffs. 

“Hey,” Harry nudged him with as much strength as he could. Louis didn’t even budge. “I’m glad the boys did this. Who knows how long it would be before I fessed up to you. I love you, Lou, and I’m gonna treat ya right.” Harry whispered his promise as best he could, trying to form coherent sentences through the thick fog of sleep. 

“Love you more, Haz. I’m gonna,” Louis started, but Harry’s snore interrupted him. He’d tell him tomorrow morning. He burrowed himself in Harry’s chest, letting the warmth wrap around him. He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he knows that whatever he dreamed was nowhere near as amazing as he felt in Harry’s arms. 

-

The boys were relieved when they had found them at Harry’s house the next day, asleep and tangled together on the couch. Louis shooed them away and that was that. The new relationship had been accepted easily by everyone. Anne and Jay had a bet apparently, the girls were grossed out by how much Louis and Harry kissed all the time, even the kids at school seemed happy that they had finally got together. It was easy, way easier than anything before.

Homecoming was the most amazing night ever and Louis couldn’t wait until Prom. They wore matching velvet tuxes, with pocket squares that had each other’s eye color. Niall had gagged in disgust and Liam swooned at the romantic detail. Zayn didn’t care. They danced ridiculously all night, kissed during a slow song, sang obnoxiously loud in each other’s ears, and then went to Harry’s and had amazing sex. They walked each other to their classes, Harry carried Louis’ school bag every time, they shared lunches and Louis ate tucked under Harry’s arm. They went on cute dates on the Fridays that neither boy had practice and spent the weekends together. They lived in each other’s pockets. 

They still went to Doom all the time and they were still extremely competitive. They said dumb things to each other and it was all cute until they started playing the games. They got too aggressive and sexually frustrated for the other boys to be around. Louis loved Harry and Harry loved Louis. Louis helped Harry in French and Harry helped Louis in Math. Louis did Harry’s hair and Harry picked Louis’ outfits. They were so far up each other’s ass that no one could tell who was who, that’s what Niall said. 

Lanesboro had gone from the summer hues, to the burnt oranges and windy evenings of fall, into icy blues and whites, pale grey trees and cold weather. It was heavy sweaters and burning hot chocolate next to warm fires, cuddling and blankets and days spent inside. It was snow fights and movie marathons. The diner sold gallons of hot coffee and warm pies. Doom was starting to die off amongst the middle schoolers because of the snow blankets on the streets, short walking distances became a journey. It was beanies and gloves and scarves and double socks. It was freezing and Lanesboro seemed smaller with everyone holed inside of their homes all the time. Louis couldn't be happier and he'd never felt warmer, even staring at his boyfriend across the chilly ice rink. 

Harry had worn Louis’ soccer jersey during his season, no matter how tight it was on him, so it was only fair that Louis wore his.

It was the first game of the season, a home game against the Dolphins or whatever, it didn’t matter. Louis only had to pay attention to Harry. They were up a lot to a little and Louis had no understanding of what was happening, he just knew that it made his stomach stir when Harry shouted out angry captain things. He loved to watch Harry’s jaw work when he chewed his mouth guard or when Harry’s eyes were glossed with concentration. His boyfriend was fucking hot all the time, but he was fucking hot playing hockey. 

The stands were packed, Anne and Gemma and Harry’s stepdad up high with all the other family members of the team. They had waved and hugged Louis and Louis loved them. A few of their teachers were there and practically all of the student body was there. Zayn was reading some comic, Liam and Niall sending him glances every two seconds. They thought Louis and Harry needed a grip? They were just as bad. 

The game was almost over and Louis couldn’t wait to go home with Harry. 

Louis was wearing Harry’s hockey jersey. He loved how big it was on Harry, how it hung off his body and was just big. He loved how it was ginormous on himself though. It was warm and cozy and it was like a dress on him. He loved the fact that he had STYLES plastered on the back, like a public claim on him. Louis was obviously Harry’s and Harry was obviously Louis’ but wearing each other’s jerseys were great reminders anyways. 

It ended with a nice shot from Harry, who only ever moved gracefully on ice skates. He was quick, moving with speed and agility and in a split second, he had shot the puck into the goal. It was a quick flick that Louis barely managed catch, Harry had stood halfway across the ice. He was so good at hockey, Louis was in love. The buzzer had gone off only a few seconds later and his teammates had piled onto him like happy dogs. Louis cheered as loud as he could, jumping up and down and shaking the boys’ bodies with excitement. 

“That’s my boyfriend! That’s my fucking boyfriend, you fucking losers!” Louis shouted at the other team, gripping Zayn’s arm tightly. He was pointing at the assholes on the other team who had been dicks to Harry the entire game. The referee almost had to kick Louis out for cursing at them so often. Their annoyed glares made him shout louder. “That’s your fucking job, you fucking losers, to lose!”

Harry skated in front of him, looking both fond and annoyed, and Louis ran down to the glass barrier. He removed his helmet and Louis’ heart eyes couldn’t be bigger. He was sweaty and red and his curls were everywhere, even with the headband in place. He smelled like sweat and he was super post-game gross, but Louis kissed him anyway. Louis gave him the biggest kiss he could with Harry’s family watching and Harry’s hands found their place on Louis’ waist. He lifted him off the ground for the whole kiss and Louis felt like every fairytale princess in every movie his sisters had seen. 

They pulled away when Niall and Zayn had started to boo them and throw popcorn at them. Louis flipped them off and studied his boyfriend’s face. He had a bruise on his cheekbone from the fight earlier and a scrape on his chin. Louis tapped the wound through the bandaid, thumbing over it gently. 

“Poor baby,” Louis murmured, pouting a bit. He had cursed the other captain out when he shoved Harry too roughly. And he shouted even more profanities when they threw their helmets out and started fighting. 

Harry smiled a big smile. “You think I’m bad, you should see the other guy.” He looked all too pleased with himself. Harry did beat the other guy up roughly. It made Louis way too hot and bothered for a public event, watching Harry throw strong punches and spit out mean things. Harry was always nice and composed, except on the hockey rink. It was the best thing ever.

His boyfriend was a dork and Louis couldn’t be more in love. He kissed him again, just because he could and Harry won the first game of the season, so he deserved it.

“Good game out there champ. Way to start the season,” Louis said, couldn’t stop the beaming smile on his face if he tried. Harry had one to match, his dimple popping out and he squeezed Louis’ waist.

“And another gone and another one gone. Another one bites the dust,” Harry sang into his cheek, lowering himself into Louis’ neck. His infatuation with Louis’ neck hadn’t died down and Louis was immune to the ticklish sensation of his curls and warm breath. Louis laughed because everything Harry did was hilarious to him, even his off-key singing. 

“That’s the song you went for? Not ‘We Are The Champions’ but that one,” Louis sounded unimpressed. “Missed opportunity Harold.”

Harry smiled, burrowing into Louis’ neck further before coming back up for a peck. He looked Louis right in the eye, the usual confidence and cockiness there again. “That’s for when we when State, baby.”

Louis couldn’t wait for that. He couldn’t wait to see his boyfriend kick ass and win a big heavy trophy. He couldn’t wait and neither could his libido. Louis was so proud of him. His boyfriend was amazing. He was sweet and caring and extremely supportive. He had painted his face the day of the soccer team’s state championship game and made a big poster and screamed until he lost his voice. He showed up to every game before that, even the away ones, and brought Louis pregame snacks and sat with his family in the stands. He gave the best post-game massages and always carried Louis’ bag for him.

Louis was the luckiest person in the world and he was going to do all that and more for Harry’s season.

“I’m gonna go say bye to my parents and then get changed. You’re still meeting me out back right?” Harry sent him a knowing smirk and Louis knew what was happening tonight. They were geniuses. Harry’s parents were going to drive Gemma back to university and then they had Harry’s house all to themselves.

Louis nodded. “Of course, baby. I’m just going to go get the boys,” He smiled sweetly and sent him off with a peck and a pat on his shoulder pad. He made his way over to the other boys, who were sitting on the bleachers still. The stands were starting filter out and he waved goodbye to Harry’s family. Liam was frowning at the now empty stands around him, ignoring Niall and Zayn’s conversation about robots. 

“People need to stop leaving their trash everywhere,” He said, gathering up the mess the boys had made of food wrappers. Louis gave his cheek a pinch, lovely boy scout Liam was amazing. 

“Good boy, Liam. You’re making the world a better place,” Louis said, watching him lazily with his hands on his hips. 

“You should take a note or two, Tommo. You make the world worse by breathing,” Niall snorted. He gave a cheeky smile, he thought he was clever with his insults. 

Louis loved him, but he also wanted to claw his face off sometimes. “Take your retainers off so we can fight it out, man to man, Horan.”

Both Liam and Zayn shook their heads, intervening at the same time. “He can’t take his retainers off yet.” God, they all needed to make out already. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, lovebirds. Got it,” Louis muttered, eyeing their red cheeks with annoyance. It was the same type of annoyance that he’s sure they all had with him and Harry, so he’ll consider them even. “Come on, we’ve got to go to the locker rooms. H said he was gonna shower, so we might as well wait for him over there.”

Zayn scoffed but led the way up the bleachers anyways. “You sure you don’t just want to peak in during his shower?” He shouldered Louis with a smug smirk. 

Louis couldn’t believe his friends. “What is with the low blows today, boys? Did you all plan on attacking me today or something?” Niall held the door open to the main hall, Zayn going first and then Louis and then Liam and then Niall. 

Liam shot him a sympathetic smile and a pat on the back once they’d got beside each other again. “Sorry Lou, but I don’t think they’re doing it on purpose. No one wants to mess with you anymore after seeing Harry fight that one guy.”

The other boys laughed, whistling and hollering. “Styles kicked his ass!” Niall yelled. They were alone in the hall, otherwise, they’d be kicked out of the arena. 

Zayn smirked, staring straight at Louis across the boys’ chests. “Louis was trying so hard not to come in his pants.” Liam’s cheeks turned red because he was Liam, but not Louis’. He wasn’t ashamed of his hot boyfriend or how his body reacted to that boyfriend. Niall laughed again, his loud cackle that was just as bad as Harry’s.

He held his chin up high and strutted faster than the boys, reaching the descending stairs to the locker room. “What about it? You guys aren’t any better around each other. Harry is fucking hot and I’m going to have sex with him as soon as we get to his house.”

The boys groaned, Niall going as far as throwing himself against the stair railing. Louis didn’t pay him any mind, walking down the corridor with a satisfied smile. 

“Louis,” Liam groaned from behind him. “I hate it when you tell us about your sex life.” Louis shrugged, he didn’t care. 

“God knows what freaks you two are,” Zayn muttered from somewhere on his left. Niall was somewhere on his right, still groaning in disgust. He was so fucking dramatic. 

Louis pushed open the doors, steam and the stench of boys hitting them immediately. Louis went straight past the first two rows of lockers, stopping at the third row, making his way to locker twenty-three. Harry was there, drying off his hair with a white towel, another one wrapped around his waist. He was drenched in shower perspiration, his chest gleaming with it. His body was bare and Louis' lower body stirred in interest. Louis couldn’t do much but stand in his spot and stare. 

“Harry! I don’t know what happened out there, but you won! I don’t get hockey at all man, you should’ve picked an easier sport, but congrats!” Niall hollered out, banging his fist against the metal lockers on his way over to jump Harry. Harry stumbled, forever klutzy, and gripped the white towel around his waist tightly. He reached another arm around Niall and patted him roughly. 

“It’s been years, Niall, you’d better understand all of it,” He mumbled into Niall’s shoulder. Niall was on top of the bench between the locker stalls and Louis didn’t even notice he had got there. He didn’t question Niall anymore.

Liam gave him a pat and his crinkly smile and Zayn just nodded in congratulations. Louis was waiting for Niall to get off his damned boyfriend so he could press against his body. Stupid Niall. Harry pushed his face out of Niall’s swaying embrace to shoot Louis a wink and a lazy smile, a reminder that Harry didn’t forget about him. He loved his damned boyfriend.

“What’s the plan for tonight then?” Zayn asked as he took a seat on the bench. He shoved Harry’s bag off to the side, only sending a faux apologetic look when a few of his things fell off the side. Harry and everyone else was used to Zayn’s inconsideration and they loved him nonetheless, Liam and Niall more than others. 

Liam shrugged, “Wings and then we can head to Doom. Ni might not like that last bit, but we outvote him.” Harry and Louis shot each other looks, secret smiles, communicative eyebrow raises and nose twitches. Niall groaned again and pushed himself off of Harry completely. 

“First, I don’t want to hang out at my job. I hate that place. Sick of it. Second, I’m sick of your fucking stupid silent conversations. Go back to hating each other. You two are disgusting, I don’t care if that makes me homophobic at this point. Maybe I am homophobic.” Niall’s face twisted in a grimace and Liam rolled his eyes. Zayn gave him a scoff for the comedic attempt. They all knew how Niall felt about the same sex. 

Louis stuck his tongue out and gravitated under Harry’s arm, despite the shower droplets on Harry’s stick soaking his puffy winter coat. “Don’t hate on us when you won’t step up to the plate and ask—“

“That’s enough, I think,” Liam clapped a hand with pink cheeks. Zayn had shifted his body away slightly and Louis knew him well enough to know his cheeks matched theirs. “Everyone is starting to head out, you should hurry up.”

The wing place—the only wing place in Lanesboro—would be crowded if Harry didn’t hurry. Getting a table for five would be hell. 

“Getting a table for five is gonna be shit if you don’t put some pep in your step, twinkle toes,” Zayn said, flipping open his comic book. He was as disinterested in reality as he ever was. “I’ve got weed in my car and Niall’s filled up Liam’s mom’s station wagon with enough gas to get us to Rubidoux. Let’s get the wings and fuck out of here.”

Harry shook Louis to get his attention a bit. Louis looked up and Harry’s face was scrunched in consideration. _“Should we skip out on tonight?”_

Louis scrunched his face up as well. _“Dunno. Should we?”_

_ “Your call.”_ Harry’s lips jutted out and his shoulders went up in a quick shrug. __

_ __ _

Louis smiled and shook his head. _“Nah.”_ He wiggled his eyebrows and Harry bit his lip to stop his smile. Tonight was going to be great. 

_ __ _

Zayn gagged and Niall threw himself against the locker, clanging to the floor dramatically. Fuck them. 

_ __ _

Harry turned away from Louis, steering him to the bathroom stalls after snatching his gym bag off the bench. “I’m gonna get changed, be back in a sec.” He said to the boys. 

_ __ _

Both Louis and Harry could hear the way the boys tossed their heads back in exasperation and annoyance. “You don’t need Louis to change, Harry!” Liam pointed out. 

_ __ _

“Yeah I do, he helps me get dressed faster!” Harry shouted back over his shoulder. He gave Louis a peck on the cheek, just because.

_ __ _

“No sex while we’re in the same room!” Niall and Zayn yelled. 

_ __ _

Louis rolled his eyes, nuzzling Harry’s chest as they stepped into a stall. He smelled like cucumber body wash and strawberry shampoo. “As if we’d give them wank material for free.” Louis parted from Harry to lean against the wall opposite of the black stall door. It was spotted with white dots and they were in the big spacious handicap room. Nobody else was here, it wouldn’t hurt anyone if they used it. 

_ __ _

Harry clicked his teeth, rummaging through his bag for clothes. “One asscheek of yours is at least a couple hundred; my dick, priceless. No way we’re doing anything public for free,” He shot Louis a cheeky smile as he pulled a long sleeve over his bare torso. Louis hated to see him cover-up, but it was snowing outside. He’d rather his boyfriend not get hypothermia. 

_ __ _

“You’re so full of yourself, Styles. Circumcision is all the rage, nowadays. No uncircumcised dick is priceless,” Louis raised a brow as Harry pulled over a sweatshirt, revealing an offended face. 

_ __ _

“Excuse me, princess, but you’re not circumcised either!” Harry pointed out and Jesus they were seriously going to banter over dicks. 

_ __ _

“Yeah, but I have an ass, cupcake,” Louis cocked a hip out, trying to show off as much as he could with a heavy parka on. Damn the winter and its stupid temperatures. Harry pouted and stood up from the bag on the floor, dropping his towel and turning around. 

_ __ _

The sweater cut halfway across his butt, so he lifted it a bit to ghost across the top of it. It was small and pale and he had a blemish on it. He had a mole on the back of his hairy thigh that Louis prodded at relentlessly when they cuddled. He looked over his shoulder at Louis, wiggling his eyebrows in a mock seductive way. “I’d say my butt is better than yours.” He was wiggling his eyebrows and Louis couldn’t take it anymore. 

_ __ _

He burst into giggles, hiding his face behind his hands and sliding down the wall. Harry laughed along with him, pulling on boxers with a goofy smile on his face. He was so in love with Louis and he’d made a fool of himself every day if it meant that Louis giggled like he was now. He got dressed while Louis teased him about his butt, calling it cute and trying to apologize for his defamation of Harry’s bum. 

_ __ _

“Come on, Mr. Golden Ass, we’ve got a mission to complete,” Harry sauntered over to his boyfriend, who was leaned against the tile wall with a pleased smile on his face. Louis held his arms up, making grabby hands, and Harry knew that he wanted to be pulled up from the floor. His arms were sore from the game and Louis’ winter jacket added at least five pounds to his weight, but Louis was light and five pounds wasn’t much, so Harry pulled his boyfriend up from the floor as Louis had wanted.

_ __ _

Louis’ face was crinkled with fond and he gave Harry a soft, slow kiss with as much love as Louis could pour into. He held his jaw, minding the scrapes on Harry’s face. Louis and Harry both smiled into the kiss because they couldn’t believe that a few months ago, they called each other dicks and shitheads, but now they were so far up each other’s ass, no one could tell who was who. Again, Niall’s words, not theirs. 

_ __ _

“I’m super proud of you, Haz. You killed it out there and I can’t wait to cheer you on at State in March,” Louis said, playing with a stray curl that escaped Harry’s headband. Harry’s eyes shined with adoration and Louis knew he was going to marry this boy one day and in his wedding speech, he was going to call him out for being a dick and sucking at arcade games, but also for being the loveliest person alive. 

_ __ _

Harry sighed, letting Louis stand on his own two feet instead of holding him above the ground. “You can show me how proud you are tonight,” He suggested with a cheeky smirk and crazy eyebrow lifts. His tongue was between his teeth. Harry was so fucking horny all the time. 

_ __ _

Louis couldn’t bag on him for it or Harry would mention all the embarrassing times Louis had been particularly needy. That fucker. 

_ __ _

Louis rolled in eyes in feign annoyance. “Whatever, Captain. I’m starting to get bored, you know.” He held Harry’s hand as Harry picked up his gym bag from the floor, tossed it onto a shoulder, and pushed open the stall door for them both. 

_ __ _

Harry laughed. “Not after tonight, you won’t. You’ll finally be ‘on top.’” He shot him a wink and a shoulder nudge and Louis’ heart couldn’t be more in love. 

_ __ _

They took a different route, stepping on their toes lightly. The boys couldn’t hear them over their conversation as they treaded around the row the three were in. They stopped a few rows away, out of eyesight, but still in earshot. 

_ __ _

“All I’m saying is that Bucks Fizz is shit,” Zayn said. They heard Niall squawk. 

_ __ _

“‘Making Your Mind Up’ is a masterpiece! The Cure is for vampires, Zayn. Vampires. Bucks Fizz is for living life, dancing and grooving and being free,” Niall was probably dancing. Liam was laughing, so Niall was probably thrusting his hips. It was always funny watching Niall do that. 

_ __ _

“Boys, can we all just agree that Beastie Boys and Run-DMC are the superior music group?” Liam suggested. The other boys hummed their agreement and Louis would bet anything that they were staring at Liam like he was a knight in shining armor. 

_ __ _

Harry nudged Louis and nodded his head at the door to the locker rooms. “Ready?”

_ __ _

Louis nodded with a smile and led them to the door. It felt so good to give these shits a piece of their own medicine. They opened the door as quietly as they could and as soon as they were in the hallway, they slammed the doors shut together loudly. The three boys were probably staring at each other in horror, just as Louis and Harry had months before. Louis dug in his pockets for the jumble of keys he always had on him. He looked for the rusted gold one that had recently been added after Harry nicked it off the office treasury. 

_ __ _

He found the key and shoved it in the keyhole, locking the door swiftly. He finished just in time to watch the boys make panicked faces against the sliver of glass. They were slapping their hands against the doors, banging and shouting. Even Liam was cursing at them. 

_ __ _

“Fuckers, open the door! This isn’t funny!” He shouted, his face pale with nerves. It was a lovely sight. 

_ __ _

Louis smiled sweetly and shrugged his shoulders, Harry’s arm finding his way around them. “It’s for character development, or whatever. You guys need to make out already. For us,” he added with a wink. “The sexual tension has been annoying us. We’re supposed to be the horny ones, remember?”

_ __ _

Niall spat out something about how ridiculous this was, about how this was dumb and that they needed to open the door. He shouted about how he was hungry and he wanted to go home. 

_ __ _

Harry clicked his tongue. “There’s snacks in Coach’s office, sport. We’ll be back before the cleaning staff gets here at midnight. It’s eight now, so stick it out for a few hours, troopers.”

_ __ _

Louis hummed, eyeing Zayn through the glass. “We’ll pay you back for the weed. Might even save you some,” He wiggled a copy of Zayn’s car key in front of the glass. Zayn was burning holes into Louis’ skin. Harry didn’t like it, but Louis looked satisfied and unbothered. 

_ __ _

“You’re a shit friend, Tomlinson.” He said, arms crossed. He looked like a toddler. Louis blew him a kiss. 

_ __ _

“You’ll thank us on your throuple wedding day. I’ve already called dibs on the best man. But we’re getting married first,” Louis stuck a tongue out and smiled into the peck Harry landed on his cheek. They were _so_ getting married first. 

_ __ _

Harry tapped the glass. “Look, we love you guys. We just want you guys to be happy and we’re sick of you three pining over each other. Now’s your time to work everything out. Talk to each other, ask each other out, kiss each other. But no sex in the locker room! That’s gross and unhygienic.” He pointed a finger at each boy. The boys on the other side had stopped their fussing and were now glaring at them with fire in their eyes. 

_ __ _

“Bye boys!” Louis waved, dragging Harry to run after him. They giggled and bumped into each other as they ran off, pleased with their little plan. They didn’t stop until they reached Harry’s car, parked right next to Liam’s mom’s station wagon and Zayn’s car. It was lightly snowing and Harry had left his snow jacket in his car, so his nose was red and the tops of his cheeks were red also. He looked adorable. 

_ __ _

They were breathless, puffing out air into each other’s smiling faces, Louis’ gloved hands running through Harry’s curls. Harry was a heater and he was fine without the snow jacket, hiding under layers of sweaters and Louis’ body heat. He pressed himself into Louis’ smaller body as much as he could once they’d stopped at his car, his cold nose rubbing against Louis’ warm neck and sending goosebumps down Louis’ body.

_ __ _

Louis let out an involuntary shiver. It was a violent shiver, one that made his shoulder bump into Harry’s nose. “Oops,” He muttered. Harry pulled away, still breathing big puffs of air out of his mouth. Tiny bits of white snowdrops were catching on Louis’ eyelashes, weighing them down a bit.

_ __ _

“Hi,” Harry muttered back, thumbing the snow away gently. He was so beautiful.

_ __ _

“I’m so in love with you,” Louis said simply. His smile made Louis’ heart skip and his stomach was bubbling with butterflies. He was used to the way Harry made him feel, but he wasn’t.

_ __ _

Harry smiled at him, a beaming and warm smile that felt like the sun in the middle of the snow. It was the private smile he had for only Louis, with a fond little nose scrunch that made him look like the cutest frog in the world. “I’m so in love with you,” He parroted. Louis’ heart was thumping. “We are going to get the weed from Zayn’s car. Only a little, because we’re nice. Then we’ll go back to mine, smoke a bit, eat your infamous Chicken wrapped in Parma Ham with a side of homemade mash, put on Magnum P.I. You’ll keep your promise, we’ll go at it for a few hours, then come back and pick the boys up.”

_ __ _

Louis’ cheeks reddened, not because of the cold. “Can’t believe you’re making me do this,” He mumbled, shy and grumpy. 

_ __ _

Harry laughed, opening up the trunk and throwing his bag in carelessly. “You’re the one who suggested it! I have it right here, baby.” He held up his hockey jersey and waved it around like a flag. Louis rolled his eyes with fond, nothing but fond when it was Harry, and snatched it away. 

_ __ _

“You’re an idiot,” He muttered, marching over to the passenger door. Harry beat him to it, laughing and holding the door open for him like he always did. Louis got in, clutching the jersey in his hands as he settled in the seat. Harry didn’t close the door, eyeing him with his hand held out. 

_ __ _

“I need the key to Zayn’s car. Please. Also a kiss. And tell me you love me again,” He demanded with his stupid dimpled grin, looking like the same adorable kid Louis met on September 28th. Louis couldn’t be more in love with this dork. 

_ __ _

He huffed and handed over the keys, leaning up to Harry as the taller boy bent down, meeting each other halfway for a sweet kiss. There was a hint of tongue, from Harry of course, but there was more time for that later. “I love you, you dork.” He dropped his hand from where Harry had it clutched between his and the keys, settling back in the seat. 

_ __ _

“Love you more, Boo-Bear,” Harry sang out. He was too comfortable out in the snow without a snow jacket on. Louis was mildly concerned. 

_ __ _

“Whatever,” Louis’ grin was audible in his voice. He closed his eyes against the seat, feeling the material of the hockey jersey. It was soft, a bit rough where the numbers and letters were etched onto the jersey. It wouldn’t bother Louis at all later on when he was riding Harry into fucking oblivion. “Go get me my weed, cupcake.”

_ __ _

Harry cackled the ridiculous donkey cackle that Louis was helplessly endeared by. “Anything for my Lou!” He shouted out before dashing off to Zayn’s car. 

_ __ _

And yeah, Louis was head over heels in love with Harry Styles. The very same Harry Styles who he had been teasing and name-calling his entire life. Yes, he had sworn he hated him and yes they fought thousands of times. They might have screwed up and got the whole dealing with a crush memo wrong for ten plus years, but they got it right eventually. Louis was in love with him and he was going to marry that boy and in his wedding speech, he is so calling out Harry for all the times he made Louis cry, but Harry was so going to call him out for making Harry cry, so they were even. 

_ __ _

Their rivalry was even. They’d fought and argued and they finally found out the winner. It was settled and they’d both argue over who won at the end of the day. They’d argue and bicker about it until they were old and gray.

_ __ _

LT28 would definitely say he won, he got Harry. 

_ __ _

HS28 would definitely disagree and say he won, he got Louis. 

_ __ _

Either way, they were still going to beat each other at video games and bicker, only now they loved each other.

_ __ _

**Author's Note:**

> omg u made it to the end!! isn't ur face red with embarrassment. anyways, please please leave comments and/or kudos, it really motivates me to write. i'm not confident in my work, so it means so much when i get feedback. i want to write for you guys !!! love you guys and thank u !!


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